"And my purpose in my life is to make pictures and drawings, as many and in addition to I can; then, at the finish of my life, I hope to cross away, looking again with love and tender regret, and considering, 'Oh, the pictures I may need made!'"

-Vincent VVan Gogh, Letter 338, 9 November 1883

Within the annals of artwork historical past, there is no comparison to the enduringly tragic and passionate lifetime of Vincent Van Gogh. His works have been embraced and are treasured by a world which as soon as scarcely understood or accepted this tragic and tortured genius.
The beauty of his remarkably prolific career lies in the depth and conviction of coronary heart, which he positioned in his images. His works stay etched and embossed inside our subconscious and nonetheless linger in our minds long after this tormented soul's dramatic departure from this life.
Born March 30, 1853, Vincent Wilhelm Van Gogh's young life was overshadowed by the loss of life of a brother precisely one year prior to Vincent's birth. Ironically, the brother's title was additionally Vincent. Imagine the confusion of a meditative young boy dealing with the concept of being a replacement youngster and truly visiting a grave frequently bearing his name. However, the mournful and desolate countryside of Vincent's birthplace in Groot-Zundert, Holland turned the nurturing source and breeding floor for Van Gogh's intense exploration of nature and the world round him.
His favourite brother was Theo, who grew to become and remained a beacon of hope, support and encouragement throughout Van Gogh's complete life. They have been kindred spirits and their eloquent and tender correspondences (over 700 letters) are completely archived as a residing testimony to their symbiotic closeness.
In Could of 1873, Vincent was sent to London to work at the Goupil Gallery as a young art salesman, where he started to explore and developed an appreciation for artwork of all sorts. While there he met a young lady named Ursula Loyer of whom Vincent grew to become utterly enamored and proposed marriage. Ursula mocked him and refused his advances with nothing wanting contempt for the 21-year-outdated Van Gogh.
This disappointment, the basis of a lifetime of isolation and despair, turned an awe-consuming occasion which shattered his expectations of a "normal life" While this may occasionally seem a childish exaggeration, this pattern of rejection was to repeat itself many instances over the course of Vincent's Life and affect his notion of the world round him.

The Emerging Artist: Nuenen

While hypothesis on Van Gogh's personal life, emotional and physical troubles might fill volumes; we are going to concentrate on his art. This is greatest achieved by concentrating on the precise areas in which Van Gogh lived and labored and his reasons for being there, as opposed to a lengthy analysis of his coming and goings. Van Gogh did travel fairly extensively for someone of his stature and class, however more related are the photographs themselves, which had been created in a certain space at a major point in his creative growth.

The son of a Dutch protestant minister, Vincent's youth was spent finding out theology and performing as lay preacher for the miners of the region. Herein lies his fascination with widespread folk and workers of the lands and fields.
In one of many artist's earliest works entitled Sorrow, the trials and tribulations of life tackle an amazing somber tone.

In his first truly serious painting, The Potato Eaters, painted in Nuenen in April of 1885, we see a poverty stricken world with characters neatly sculpted in sharp, deep tones of thickly utilized oil paint. It was during this stage of the artist's growth that the themes of the harvest and character research of the miners took priority. The 192 canvases painted during this era are portraits of braveness and dignity despite oppressive poverty and depressive circumstances.

"The purpose is that I have tried to carry out the concept that these individuals consuming potatoes by the sunshine of their lamp have dug the earth with the self-same fingers they're now placing into the dish, and it thus suggests guide labor and -- a meal honestly earned."

-Vincent Van Gogh, Letter to Theo, c. 30 April 1885

Antwerp : Tutorial Reinforcement

Throughout Van Gogh's transient stay in the metropolis of Antwerp, he attended the Tutorial Royale des Beaux Art. Although he painted solely seven work during his three month tenure, the main target was on tutorial precision and it's inclusion within the refinement of his artwork and technique. Arising from his studies of anatomy and the human determine, Van Gogh produced this slightly startling macabre image entitled, Cranium with Burning Cigarette. Maybe Vincent was reflecting on his own in poor health health at the time with complaints of rotting teeth and stomach ailments.

Paris : Pivotal Inventive Exploration

In 1886 Vincent moved to Paris to stick with his brother Theo, now an artwork dealer. This period of Vincent's life is exceptional in Van Gogh's publicity to new artwork actions and his willingness to experiment and apply these new ideas to his own creations. Influenced by the Impressionists, his palette became a lot lighter and the colors extra brilliant. Different influences embody Japanese prints with their flat, ornamental panels of shade, which had been extremely popular at the time. Vincent incorporated many of those new influences in this extremely vibrant stage of his life and career.
The painting Inside of a Restaurant with its speckles of yellow, gold and inexperienced, clearly shows the affect of Divisionism and even Pointillism, a way developed by George Seurat. During his keep in Paris, Van Gogh met and related to many of the premiere impressionists of his day, among them, Toulouse-Lautrec, Pissaro, Seurat and of Course, Gauguin. Upon viewing Vincent's work for the first time, Gauguin remarked, "You actually do paint like a madman!"

This incident came about in an artwork provide retailer, which was run by Pere Tanguy, who additionally displayed work and regarded himself an artwork dealer. Van Gogh's Portrait of Pere Tanguy. is of special curiosity with the colourful Japanese prints and woodcuts, which profoundly influenced Vincent's work at the time, that kind the background of this distinctive portrait.

Painted in the late summer season months of 1887, the portray, Two Lower Sunflowers, is particularly striking. Vincent's fascination with the vivid yellow of those enormous flowers is well known. The depth of the color is barely matched with Van Gogh's seemingly manic strokes. During his keep in Paris, Vincent painted 222 work, a lot of that are thought of masterpieces. Rural scenes of the area, quite a few self-portraits and landscapes of the town itself are the subjects of Vincent's incredible outpour of vivacious and enchanting imagery.

Arles : A New Hope Turns Tragic

Arriving in Arles on February 20, 1888, Vincent had most definitely hoped that the sunshine of provence would encourage his work and raise his creative abilities to a brand new, creative plateau. By this point, the plein-air painting he had explored along with the affect of impressionism and the japonaisse parts he utilized were fused and became, actually with out his own realization, the style that will turn out to be distinctly "Vincent "

The Sower, painted in June of 1888, shows a return to one in every of Van Gogh's favourite motifs, and his lifelong fascination with the work of Millet. At one level, Vincent painted seven copies of the Sower in one week. Right here in Arles, the Sower takes on an imposing high quality with the good solar blazing throughout the fields with a divine intensity.

It is a nicely know fact that Vincent could not afford to hire fashions for his work and very often painted himself. No fewer than 35 of these portraits exist, definitely extra self-portraits than any artist had ever painted.

They are intriguing, not merely for the versatility of style, but additionally because they provide insight into Vincent's way of thinking on the particular level of time during which they have been created.
The Self Portrait with Pipe and Straw Hat was painted in August of 1888. In my opinion, it is a charming portrayal of the artist's optimism and hope for a productive, artistic period of his life. There is a sense of peace and renewal evident in his face and within the easy, but confident brush strokes.

Vincent's intention in Arles was to create a colony of artists in the southern provincial city. The Painter, Paul Gauguin joined him for a quick time on this artistic tour of pure expression. Their time collectively proved to be short-lived nevertheless, as their temperaments were vastly different.
Whereas boarding at the yellow house, a weird incident occurred which was to mark the end of their relationship. In an atmosphere fueled by alcohol and Vincent's delusional tantrums, the 2 personalities clashed, an argument ensued, and Van Gogh cut off a portion of his ear and delivered it to a prostitute named Rachel.

A lot has been written regarding this episode and a number of the info have been misconstrued by dramatic interpretations. It is clear that Vincent suffered from both visible and aural hallucinations and that he additionally partook heavily in the ingesting of absinthe, a highly potent mixture, with the identical results as opium. Greater than likely, the combination of all these components, along with Vincent's damaged shallowness and string of emotional disappointments, led to this bizarre act.
Of the 187 Portray created in Arles, many are Vincent's best liked works. The portray, Vincent's Bed room in Arles, is considered the best of 5 different variations of the scene. Vincent was so pleased with the work that he wrote extremely detailed letters describing the painting: "In a phrase, wanting at the image should rest the mind, or quite the imagination."

The unusual pressured perspective of the room with its slanted again wall is in actual fact a contradiction to Vincent's intended vision. As soon as again we see a composition influenced by Vincent's preoccupation with Asian art, some prints of which could be seen on the walls. The room grows narrow and maybe mirror Van Gogh's sense of isolation and an attempt to report some sense of order in a world of lonely chaos.

"I really feel the will to resume myself and to try to apologize for the fact that my footage are after all nearly a cry of anguish, though in the rustic sunflower they could symbolize gratitude."

-Vincent Van Gogh, Letter to Wil, Letter W20
c.20 February 1890

After Van Gogh's self mutilation episode on a December Sunday in 1888, the young surgeon, Physician Felix Rey, was positioned in charge of Vincent's care. Maybe as a token of his appreciation, Van Gogh immortalized the physician in a portrait in January 1889.

By this level the citizens of Arles had registered a formal grievance in opposition to Van Gogh and thought of him a threat to the soundness and safety of their peaceful community.
Doctor Rey's parents were so mortified by the portrait that they actually used the portray to patch up a hole of their rooster coop. Some twenty years later, Rey rescued the painting which now resides in the State Pushkin Museum of Advantageous Art in Moscow.

Saint-Remy: The Elation of Heightened Nature

Maybe realizing the seriousness of his personal mental deterioration, Van Gogh voluntarily dedicated himself to a psychological asylum in Saint-Remy de Provence in Might of 1889. This was to be one of the difficult years of his life, paradoxically although, and in the true spirit of this gifted artist, it was additionally to be one of Vincent's most productive periods. Regardless of being at occasions utterly incapacitated and at battle together with his personal horrific demons, Van Gogh created some of the most enduring photos of all time. We see them now, and they appear to us as previous friends. Stars and Trees, etched upon our conscious. That is perhaps Vincent's greatest gift to us: The depth of his ardour transformed by the tragedy of madness into visions that transcend time and house and develop into tangible visual icons of the human experience.

On this enchanting work, there's a rolling energy as stars explode across the cool blue sky whereas wild cypress bushes rise like flames from the tiny hamlet created entirely from creativeness and memory. Contemplating the recognition of this exquisite portray, let's take a look at a drawing of the very same composition from Moscow's Museum of Architecture.

During his convalescence, Van Gogh created at least 142 paintings from Might of 1889 to Could of 1890. An ardent admirer of Eugene Delacroix and Rembrandt, he painted his own distinctive interpretations of their works. Maybe sensing his personal demise, the tormented artist reinterpreted Delacroix's Pieta. A compelling work, Vincent's Pieta, is one in all compassion and expresses a return to the spiritual roots of his childhood. The picture of Christ being taken down from the cross is way lighter in colour than the heavier, more classically influenced work of Delacroix. However the emotion and energy of expression are clearly evident.

The Painting, Road with Cypress and Stars, is almost a companion piece to Starry Night. There's a little bit of human exercise within the foreground and we even see a carriage with two passengers on the far left. The Cypress Tree is the main focus with its turbulent fiery presence in front a blazing sky.
The chisel-like brushwork and amplified surface texture had turn out to be hallmarks of Vincent's work by this time. This was to be one in every of Van Gogh's final work at the Asylum in Saint Remy.
Upon the recommendation of his brother, Theo, Vincent moved to Auvers-sur-Oise, a small village north of Paris. Right here he was positioned below the care of the Flemish Physician Paul-Ferdinand Gachet, a sixty two yr old specialist in mental illness. Whereas Gachet's competency was questionable, the scenario of Van Gogh's more and more tragic sense of melancholy referred to as for some drastic measure. An avid admirer of Vincent's work, Dr. Gachet was totally delighted along with his Portrait.
In more moderen years, The Portrait of Dr. Gachet fetched an astounding 82.5 Million Dollars at Christie's Auction House in New York, the very best value ever paid for a painting.
A picture of turbulent vitality and vividly coloured anguish, Wheat Fields With Crows is considered Van Gogh's final painting. While this may or not be true, the painting is explosive and there's a terrific atmosphere of an ominous and even sinister nature.

Armed with a revolver, Van Gogh shot himself on the afternoon of July 27, 1890. Two days later, Vincent died along with his brother Theo and Paul Gachet, the doctor's son at his side. Leaving behind a tormented and emotionally disastrous previous fraught with despair and sorrow, Vincent Van Gogh's creative contribution is unrivalled in its emotional complexity and the sheer energy of a tormented soul's inventive capacity.

An Overview

In the midst of his lifetime, Vincent Van Gogh created a veritable treasure trove of artwork. Over 1000 Drawings, 870 Work, 150 Watercolors and more than 133 letter sketches kind the body of his vast accomplishments as an artist. The majority of these works have been completed within a interval of 4 years from 1886 to 1890. Barely acknowledged during his lifetime, Vincent Van Gogh is now acknowledged as one of many world's best and most influential Artists.