Why Is Vincent Van Gogh?

1389 Words3 Pages

VINCENT VAN GOGH: Born in Netherlands in 1853, Vincent van Gogh, the son of a Dutch minister, did not start painting until the age of 27. Suffering from psychological issues his entire life, Van Gogh would eventually take his life seeing the world largely unmoved by his artistic efforts, selling only one painting during his existence as a painter. Today, Van Gogh has become one of the most renowned artists in the history of art. He is both famous and infamous for his evocative brand of painting, a style dependent heavily on the emotional state and impressionistic view of the painter. Why has this style captivated art critics and enthusiasts worldwide? What was the process by which Van Gogh developed this method and why? And what can be said …show more content…

He had a relationship with a pregnant prostitute who he would later use as a model for his paintings. Van Gogh’s antics would alienate him from Mauve. Apparently a recurring theme in his life. He would then visit his parents during Christmas time, and also found himself alienated from his father. when it was revealed Van Gogh did not attend church on Christmas day, owing to the presence of an unreturned love there. Van Gogh’s personal anguishes and seemingly erratic mood began to manifest itself within these years. Perhaps one of Van Gogh’s earliest paintings, shown below, known as “Beach at Scheveningen in Calm Weather” (1882) shows a different side of Van Gogh’s early technique and artistic leanings. What is common here with the drawings above is Van Gogh’s nearly obsessive preoccupation with finding a perspective that emphasized the diagonal depth of landscape. We find this type of view in much of Van Gogh’s early attempts. Another aspect worth to note are the most spotty uses of paint. As if Van Gogh was using the color in the way one might use a pencil to do a sketch. Dabbing and stroking quickly to bring forth the momentary “impression” of the scene rather than the actual representational depiction of it. (Sweetman, 1990) Having had his falling out with Mauve and finding a lack of inspiration. he moved back in with his parents. It is back at home that Van Gogh began his fascination with the paintings of Jeane-Franqois Millet, who had become famous in Europe for his work showing peasant life. These made Van Gogh look back at his years with the miners. Perhaps thinking there is something honest, faithful, and spiritual in the work of the peasant, Van Gogh began focusing on the subject matter that would slowly come to dominate his painterly milieu. One of Van Gogh’s earliest such paintings.“Peat Boat with Two Figures” (1882). Demonstrates Van Gogh’s continued

Open Document