Vincent Van Gogh his artwork and life - Essay Example

Order 435479 Topic: Paper on Vincent Van Gogh his artwork and life. William Shakespeare in his drama “Twelfth Night” writes, “Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) belongs to the first category. Why does he deserve that position? If one desires to know how life is to be lived in its trials, tribulations, duty and beauty-ask Vincent Van Gogh! He lived a poor life in secular terms but rich in artistry. He was a great artist and a master letter-writer. Letter writing and creating painting were alternative beats of the same heart for him. Through the first forum he created magic with his pen; through the second forum he created magic with the strokes of his brush. His letters were visual artistry; his paintings revealed the realm of spirituality. To describe a painting is more difficult than to create a painting. Reading the description provided by the artist reveal both- artist’s life as creator of the painter and also as a man. One could see the integration of his love for nature and his spiritual religion in all his paintings. A subtle, critical mind can unfailingly observe these traits of Vincent Van Gogh. “Vincent Van Gogh, for whom color was the chief symbol of expression, was born in Groot-Zundert, Holland. The son of a pastor, brought up in a religious and cultured atmosphere, Vincent was highly emotional and lacked self-confidence. Between 1860 and 1880, when he finally decided to become an artist, Van Gogh had had two unsuitable and unhappy romances.” (Vincent van Gogh….) His early life was less than ordinary. He worked as a clerk in a bookstore, as an art salesman, and a preacher. He was unsuccessful in all these ventures. The real start to his life as an artist was in 1886 when he went to Paris to join his brother Theo, the manager of Goupil’s gallery. His brother stood by him through thick and thin and offered valuable solutions to secular problems and gave financial support, when needed. “Van Goghs finest works were produced in less than three years in a technique that grew more and more impassioned in brushstroke, in symbolic and intense color, in surface tension, and in the movement and vibration of form and line. Van Goghs inimitable fusion of form and content is powerful; dramatic, lyrically rhythmic, imaginative, and emotional, for the artist was completely absorbed in the effort to explain either his struggle against madness or his comprehension of the spiritual essence of man and nature.” (Vincent van Gogh….) H. Anna Suh writes, “For many, Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) epitomizes the concept of the artist as mad genius. His mental instability, which at one point drove him to mutilate his own ear, is the stuff of legend, and feeds into the common view of Van Gogh as a lone voice in the wilderness, propelled by primitive urges and haunted by unspeakable demons.”(p.6) The works of this post-impressionist painter had a far-reaching influence on the 20th century art for its emotional impact and vivid colors. His mental illness reflected in his paintings. He was not known and his paintings were not appreciated during his lifetime. Today he is ranked as one of the greatest painter in the history of art, and an important contributor to the modern art. He has to his credit more than 2000 artworks, 900 of which are paintings, 1,100 drawings and sketches. Today his paintings are in great demand and fetch astronomical prices. Tracing his growth as an outstanding artist, from the early part of his life, Anna Suh writes, “Another perennial interest that manifested in his youth was his fascination with rural life and manual laborers. In an awkward and brief stint as a missionary in the Belgium coal region of the Borinage, Vincent sketched scenes from the miner’s daily life; these drawings compliment his poignant description of their hard slot. Indeed, it was during this time that his interest in the ministry gave way to his new ambition to be an artist.”(p.8) He painted is first major work, The Potato Eaters in 1885. He moved from one place to another and what impressed him most were the local conditions and the scenic beauty in the areas of his visit. In Belgium it was the mining region and the life of the miners. In the south of France, it was the strong sun light. That light made his works bright in color and it was the beginning of the development of the unique and the highly recognizable and appreciated style. During his stay at Arles in 1888, that style attained perfection. Vincent Van Gogh’s correspondence with his brother Theo: His letters are an important part of his life. His brother Theo was friend and supporter and the hundreds of letters he wrote to him during August 1872 to 1890, reveal his theories of art. 600 letters from Vincent to Theo and 40 from Theo to Vincent are available now. Many are undated but the art historians are able to arrange most of them chronologically. With The Potato Eaters (1885) his life as an artist took off. He made many sketches of weavers in their cottages. He got some enquiries for his work from Paris. He did Still-life paintings also in 1885. Some of his creations during this period were, Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette, Still –Life with Straw Hat and Pipe and Still-life with Earthen Pot and Clogs are hailed for their technical mastery. His two years stay in Nuenen, saw him do about 200 oil paintings. At that time he worked with somber earth tones, mostly dark brown, and the vivid coloration in which he excelled later, was nowhere in sight. When his paintings were not selling it was Theo who suggested to him to take up to bright impressionist paintings. His financial condition was bad, he ate poorly--bread, coffee and tobacco were his staple food. His teeth became loose causing him much pain. Yet he developed unquenchable thirst for art. He engrossed himself in study of color theory, visited museums to know the latest trends in art. The work of Peter Paul Rubens fascinated him much. He began to broaden his palette to carmine, cobalt and emerald green. He incorporated the style of the Japanese Ukiyo-woodcuts in number of his paintings. He also began to drink and smoke heavily. Though not blessed with academic teaching, he studied a lot in the ‘college of self-education’ where his mind was his Principal; his initiative, the Professors; his hard work the Tutors! Some of his famous paintings are: The Potato Eaters (1880) Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette (1885) Courtesan (1887) The Blooming Plum tree (1887) Portrait of Pere Tanguy (1887) The Red Vineyard (1888) The Night Café (1888) Paul Gauguin’s Armchair (1888) Still Life: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers (1888) The Starry Night (1889) The Sower (1888) The Round of the Prisoners (1890) At Eternity Gate (1890) When he died at the age of 37, he was not known to the world as a painter. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His paintings were not appreciated by the critics initially. Soon the world of art recognized the great genius of the strokes of his brush. Nathalie Heinich writes, “Vincent paints as he prays and preaches. He prays and preaches in spite of the sinner that he is, just as he paints in spite of the failures of his life as a man. Holy Scriptures and colors are the anguished and frenzied search for the light, the same salvation. He is a painter as he wished to be a pastor. Vincent entered into painting without reservations, a missionary and a martyr. And his portraits are the glorious body that his painter’s faith invents.”(39) His health continued to deteriorate and in May 1890, he went to the physician Paul Gachet, in Auvers-sur-Oise. That place was near to his brother Theo. Gachet had treated many artists before and Vincent had the recommendation of Pissarro. He created an itching, the only one that he had done. That was a portrait of Gachet, in his melancholic mood! His condition aggravated he was seized with the bouts of depression and on July 27 of the same year, he shot himself in the chest after being engrossed in the painting activity. He died after two days, with his brother at his bedside. His last words were reported to be "La tristesse durera toujours" (French: "The sadness will last forever"). He was buried at the cemetery of Auvers-sur-Oise. The sorrow of his brother’s death was too much for Theo to bear. He died six months later. He was buried next to Vincent, at the request of his wife *********** Works Cited: Heinich, Nathalie (Author), Browne, Paul Leduc (Author). The glory of Van Gogh: An Anthropology of admiration: Google Books, 1997. Suh, H. Anna. Vincent Van Gogh: A Self-Portrait in Art and Letters; Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers; 1 edition, October 30, 2006. Vincent Van Gogh-- Biography - His Life and Times Retrieved on April 25, 2010 Read More