An Evening With Vincent

The "Yellow House" in Arles where Vincent van Gogh lived in 1888

When Vincent van Gogh died in 1890, all of his work that was not sold went to his brother Theo. Theo died six months after Vincent, and it was left to Theo's widow to decide what to do with Vincent's artworks. Theo had supported his brother both emotionally and financially for all of the troubled man's life, and Theo's widow, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, continued the family's devotion to Vincent. Her wish was to spread awareness of her brother-in-law's unusual paintings. She had saved all the letters that Vincent and Theo exchanged from 1872 onwards, and she published them in three volumes in 1914. She knew that the brothers' letters to each other were important, as well as the artworks. The correspondence would give the public a better understanding of the eccentric, complex artist.

Portrait of Theo van Gogh, 1887,  by Vincent                        Portrait of Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, 1905, 

                                                                                                                               by  Johan Cohen Gosschalk  hfyfyfyfyfyfyfyfyf

Johanna sold some of Vincent's artworks, but she kept many that she considered to be the most significant. These were exhibited along with the works that were for sale. She wanted the public to see these special works, and she was determined to keep them together as a collection. Her son Vincent (named for his uncle, of course) inherited the collection when Johanna died in 1925. He sold the entire collection to the Dutch State, and it is this remarkable collection that became the foundation for Amsterdam's van Gogh Museum, which opened in 1973. 

Self Portrait, 1887

The van Gogh Museum has the largest collection of Vincent van Gogh's work in the world: 200 paintings, 400 drawings, and 700 letters by the prolific artist. The museum's main exhibit tells about Vincent's life and artistic development in great detail, which added to this wonderful museum's charm. We were lucky to be there on a rainy Friday evening, when there were no crowds. 

The van Gogh Museum is the most visited museum in the Netherlands, and it's easy to see why. Theo and Johanna's wish for Vincent's work to be valued by the public as they valued it came true. Thanks to them we can be immersed in the amazing artwork and thought of this uniquely talented man. I loved every minute of the two hours I spent there. The time went by fast... 

Vincent's palette!

We were able to take photos (without a flash) and I photographed some of Vincent's works that I found most interesting. This is a great advantage when visiting a museum, because when I'm home I can review the artworks that were of particular interest, and learn more about them and the circumstances of the artist's life when he or she created them. 

Many of Vincent's letters were on display (as well as his oil palette and tubes of paint!) I hadn't seen his letters before, or known about the beautiful little sketches that he added to some of them. And I'd seen very few of Vincent's drawings and watercolors until now. At first he struggled with drawing, particularly with issues of perspective in his paintings. But his hard work and determination to improve his artistic skills paid off. 

A few of  Vincent wonderful drawings .

Everyone is familiar with van Gogh's beautiful paintings of Sunflowers, with their many shades of yellow. Two of them are the van Gogh Museum, and they are spectacular. But I found another of Vincent's yellow-toned paintings there that I thought was just as beautiful. It's titled Quinces, Lemons, Pears, and Grapes. Vincent had extended the paint onto the wooden frame, and the effect was wonderful!

Quinces, Lemons, Pears and Grapes, 1887 (but my photo doesn't capture the vibrance of the original's colors)

Detail from Still Life with Red Cabbages and Onions, 1887

There was another painting from Vincent's "Paris period" (1886-88) that I especially loved, Still Life with Red Cabbages and Onions, painted with his legendary yellows, oranges and reds. The warm colors were enhanced with a good dose of complementary lavenders and blues. I could have stared at that painting for hours! I found its rhythmic brushstrokes and soothing colors mesmerizing…



Which brings me to something I discovered this morning, reading Johanna's sensitive memoir about her famous brother-in-law. Check it out: http://www.vggallery.com/misc/archives/jo_memoir.htm. 
Vincent and I have "a moment" in common! In her memoir Johanna often quotes from Vincent's letters. Here is an excerpt telling of an incident during a visit that Vincent made to the Rijksmuseum with a friend. It describes Vincent's reaction to a painting by Rembrandt:

Vincent could not tear himself away from the "Jewish Bride" and said at last, "Would you believe it...I should be happy to give ten years of my life if I could go on sitting here in front of this picture for a fortnight, with only a crust of dry bread for food?"

Like Vincent, I was struck by the beauty of that particular painting by Rembrandt! I could have stared at The Jewish Bride all day, drinking in in the luscious details of Rembrandt's masterful use of paint. But I had an advantage that Vincent didn't have: a great camera. 

Head of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette, (1886)

p.s. Vincent had a sense of humor. He added a cigarette to this study of a skeleton, most likely painted when he was studying at the Art Academy in Antwerp :-)