Vincent Van Gogh - Blog on Art and Painting

01
May

Happy Birthday Theo van Gogh

On May 1, 1857 Vincent van Gogh’s younger brother Theo was born. Theo was Vincent’s closest confident, best friend and biggest supporter. Although they didn’t live together much during their adult years and didn’t get to see each other very often, they stayed in touch through the hundreds of letters that Vincent wrote. In honor of Theo’s birthday, Vincent would frequently send Theo a letter with birthday greetings and often a recently completed painting or drawing.

On April 30, 1881, Vincent wrote,

“My best wishes for your birthday. I often think of your visit; I am glad that we saw each other again, and hope you will come back this summer.”

A few years later on April 30, 1885 Van Gogh was living in Nuenen when he wrote,

“My warmest good wishes for good health and peace of mind on your birthday. I should have liked to send the painting of the Potato Eaters for this day, but although it’s coming along well, it isn’t quite finished yet.”

By April 30th of 1890, Van Gogh was staying in the St. Paul Hospital in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence when he wrote the following in a letter to Theo,

“Until now I have not been able to write you, but being a bit better just now, I did not wish to delay wishing you a happy year, since it’s your birthday, you and your wife and child. At the same time I beg you to accept the various pictures I am sending you with my thanks for all the kindness you have shown me, for without you I should be very unhappy.”

There have been books and movies covering the lives of these two brothers including the 1990 film Vincent & Theo and the books Vincent and Theo Van Gogh: A Dual Biography by Jan Hulsker, and Theo Van Gogh 1857 to 1891: Art Dealer, Collector and Brother of Vincent by Chris Stolwijk, Richard Thomson and Sijraar Van Heugten just to name a few.

It is because of Theo van Gogh and his wife Johanna that we know so much about Van Gogh and that the world has such a vast collection of his works still today. Thank you Theo.

Letters Source:

http://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/10/144.htm
http://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/15/404.htm
http://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/20/629.htm

Filed under - Van Gogh Family, Van Gogh Letters No Comments so far. Add yours now
16
Apr

Van Gogh in Asnières – Park Paintings

During the spring of 1887, Vincent van Gogh was living in Paris and staying with his friend and fellow artist Emile Bernard. In addition to Bernard, Van Gogh was exposed to the emerging techniques of other artists in the community in Paris. The influences of Impressionism and Pointillism are evident in his work from this time. At the time, Van Gogh was painting en plein air, painting outdoors, and because he was staying in the suburbs just north of Paris in Asnières, the scenery that Van Gogh was painting on the banks of the Seine was more like the countryside rather than the hustle and bustle of the more metropolitan areas. This gave way to brighter and more colorful paintings for Van Gogh.

While Van Gogh painted several landscapes during this time, one of the popular subjects that Van Gogh painted was a series of different paintings of the park at Asnières. View some of these paintings below:

Filed under - Van Gogh Landscapes, Van Gogh Paintings, Van Gogh Paris No Comments so far. Add yours now
30
Mar

Happy Birthday Van Gogh

On this day in 1853 in the town of Zundert, The Netherlands, Vincent van Gogh was born, and the world was forever changed. Unfortunately, during his lifetime, Van Gogh’s work went unrecognized. Today, there are several iconic Van Gogh works that people all over the world recognize as being by Van Gogh including Starry Night, Sunflowers, Almond Blossom, Wheat field with Cypresses, and Irises, just to name a few. In honor of his birthday, and in an effort to bring Van Gogh the recognition he never recieved during his lifetime, here are a few other Van Gogh favorites which are not as well recognized. For more information about each of these works, simply click on the image.

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16
Mar

Van Gogh Cottages

While in the hospital in Saint-Rémy in the spring of 1890, Van Gogh did several paintings from memory of scenes from his earlier years. Without being able to get out of the hospital much, Van Gogh relied on the pictures he had in his mind as his inspiration. In a letter to his brother Theo from April 30, 1890 he wrote,

“While I was ill I nevertheless did some little canvases from memory which you will see later, memories of the North,”

One of the memories that Van Gogh painted was cottages with thatched roofs. He seemed to long for the familiarity of home and wanted to revisit some of his earlier works. Also on April 30, Van Gogh wrote to his mother and sister for the first time in months after his illness. In the letter he wrote,

“I continued painting even when my illness was at its height, among other things a memory of Brabant, hovels with moss-covered roofs and beech hedges on an autumn evening with a stormy sky, the sun setting amid ruddy clouds.”

Even after leaving Saint-Rémy and moving North to Auvers-sur-Oise, Van Gogh continued to paint cottages and recognized them as a charming part of the surrounding landscape. In a letter to his brother Theo written shortly after his arrival in Auvers, Van Gogh stated,

“Auvers is quite beautiful, among other things a lot of old thatched roofs, which are getting rare.”

Van Gogh appreciated the peacefulness of the countryside and the beauty surrounding him. Although the landscape was different from the South of France, Van Gogh felt that his experience there taught him to see more in terms of color. On May 21, 1890 he wrote to Theo stating,

“Now I have one study of old thatched roofs with a field of peas in flower in the foreground and wheat, background of hills,. A study which I think you will like. And I already feel that it did me good to go South, the better to see the North.”

Letters Source:
http://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/20/629.htm
http://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/20/629a.htm
http://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/21/636.htm
http://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/21/635.htm

Filed under - Van Gogh Auvers, Van Gogh Landscapes, Van Gogh Letters, Van Gogh Paintings, Van Gogh Saint Remy No Comments so far. Add yours now
08
Mar

Van Gogh Capturing the Orchards in Bloom

In the spring of 1888, Van Gogh was living in Arles and very interested in working outdoors to capture the blossoming orchards. Although the weather was getting nicer, it was not always the best conditions for painting en plein air. In a letter to his brother Theo from March 30 of 1888 Van Gogh wrote,

“But every day is a good day now – not meaning the weather, on the contrary there are three windy days to one that’s quiet – but those orchards in bloom that there are to paint!

I find painting hard work because of the wind, but I fasten my easel to pegs driven into the ground and work in spite of it, it is too lovely.”

While many of Vincent’s letters to Theo were conversational, about family or work, in some letters Van Gogh placed orders for paints or requests for Theo to send other supplies or money. In one such letter from April 4, 1888, Van Gogh was in the midst of a creative rush to do as many studies of the blossoming orchards as he could while their beauty lasted. In this letter he wrote,

“You see of course that if you buy the paints for me, my expenses here will be at 50%. So far I have spent more on my paints, canvas, etc., than on myself.

I have still another orchard for you, but for heaven’s sake send me the paints without delay. The flowering time is over so soon, and you know this kind of subject delights everybody.”

Van Gogh’s hope was that his paintings of orchards would have mass appeal and therefore would sell well. He encouraged Theo to send more money if he could, but also expressed understanding that Theo may have other financial concerns. On April 8, Van Gogh wrote to Theo with another plea to help him continue his paintings of the orchards.

“If you can finance a rather heavy month, so much the better, since orchards in bloom are the kind of thing one has some chance of selling or exchanging.

But it occurred to me that you have to pay your rent, so you must tell me if things are too steep.”

Unfortunately, Van Gogh’s orchard paintings did not sell, but they still appeal to the masses today as beautiful depictions of the spring season.

Letters Source:

http://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/18/472.htm
http://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/18/475.htm
http://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/18/474.htm

Filed under - Van Gogh Paintings No Comments so far. Add yours now