Dutch "Post Impressionist" painter in the 19th Century
His work is known for its:
Rough beauty
Emotional honesty
Bold color
His work had far reaching influence on 20th-century art
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
So who was Van Gogh and why is he so famous?
Typically used to describe French art between 1886 - 1914
Impressionist art was characterized by the use of: Vivid colors Thick application of paint Distinctive brush strokes Real life subject matter
Post-impressionist art was inclined to: Emphasize geometric forms, Distort form for expressive effect, Use unnatural or arbitrary color
Georges Seurat(1859–1891)
Paul Cezanne(1839–1906)
Henri Rousseau (1844-1910)
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte (available at the Art Institute of Chicago)
What is "post impressionist" art?
Born: March, 30th 1853 in Southern Holland
He was regarded as a quiet child who demonstrated no inclination or talent for artReceived his first instruction
in drawing in middle school
At age 16, he started working at a firm of art dealers, then as a bookstore clerk and then as a missionary to miners in Belgium
Van Gogh's childhood and early life
Becoming an Artist(1883-1886)
Vincent's brother Theo
encouraged him to pursue
art
Van Gogh taught himself
how to draw at home
He tested various different
techniques and styles along
with experimenting with
different subject matters
Many of his early pieces
were dark and serious, in
the style of earlier Dutch
painters--heavy and rich
using a palette of dark
colors
Some of his early work
Most of his work
depicted peasant life,
which could be
attributed to his work
with the miners in
Belgium.
The Potato Eaters (1885)
Move to Paris (1886)
Van Gogh moved to Paris at his brother's suggestion in 1886
In Paris, he came into contact with several neo-impressionist, impressionist and Japanese artists who greatly influenced his style of painting
While at Paris, Van Gogh mostly focused on portraits and still-life paintings
Paris Works (1886-1888)
Influenced by
Monet, Van Gogh
began playing
with colors to
depict natural
light in his work,
such as in “Still
Life with Lemons
on a
Plate”(1887).
Paris Works (1886-1888)
Influenced by
Bernard, he
adopted elements
of ‘pointillism’, as
seen in
“Restaurant de la
Sirene at
Asnieres”(1887).
Paris Works (1886-1888)
Influenced by
Monticelli, Van
Gogh adopted a
brighter palette
and a bolder
colors,
particularly in
paintings such
as his “Seascape
at Saintes-
Maries” (1888).
Paris Works (1886-1888) Influenced by
Japanese Art and
woodblock prints,
Van Gogh
incorporated
distinctive
cropping of
objects in his
compositions, bold
and assertive
outlines, and flat
regions of uniform
color, and uniform
lighting.
Move to Arles (1888) In 1888, tired of the
life in Paris, Van Gogh
left for Arles
He was enchanted by
the local landscape
and the vibrant light
in Arles
He painted local
landscapes using a
gridded "perspective
frame". The patchwork
of fields and avenues
appear flat and lack
perspective, but excel
in their intensity of
color.
Work at Arles (1888) His works from the
period are richly draped in yellow, ultramarine and mauve.
He would sketch different versions before painting to help evoke the particular feeling he wanted.
He also used symbols, such as flowers that represented sun in the "Willows at Sunset”
Work at Yellow House, Arles (1888-1889)
After living in Arles for several months, Vincent van Gogh leased several rooms in a brightly colored house in town, which he called the Yellow House.
It is here that he created some of his most famous paintings like the ones with the “Twelve Sunflowers” and “The Bedroom in Arles”.
Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers (1888)
Vincent created a famous series of sunflowers in vases to decorate his friend and artist Paul Gauguin bedroom in Arles.
He utilized yellow and brown tones to emit the various emotions of sunflowers based on sunlight.
This painting currently resides in the National Gallery, London UK.
Vincent’s Bedroom in Arles (1888)
"Bedroom in Arles" shows Van Gogh’s knowledge of color theory with oranges against blues, and red and greens
He omitted shadows from the picture. The lack of shadows, along with the distorted perspective, makes some of the objects appear to be falling or not steady
This painting resides in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Move to Saint Remy (1889)
Shortly thereafter, due to ill health, Van Gogh was forced into an asylum in nearby Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
It is while here that he created “Starry Night”, that has become one of the most celebrated art masterpieces of all time.
“Irises” was another famous painting from his last years, inspired by the nature surrounding him. The use of black contours in Irises is a typical element of Japanese woodblock prints.
Starry Night (1889)
"Starry Night" depicts his signature style of using visible and swirling brush strokes and intense color choices which might show his mood and state of mind.
The “Starry Night” offers a great example of movement in painting.
This painting resides in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Some interesting facts about Vincent Van Gogh
Van Gogh died on July 29, 1890 at the age of 37
Within a 10 year span, he produced around 900 oil and water color paintings, 1100 drawings and sketches 40 self-portraits That's about a painting or sketch every other day!
However, during his entire lifetime he only sold one painting!
Review Trivia
What country is Van Gogh from? What country did Van Gogh create most of his
paintings? What are some of the artistic features of a Van Gogh
painting? What varieties of paintings did Van Gogh create?What were the subjects of Van Gogh’s paintings?What is the name of Van Gogh’s most famous painting? Van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime -
which one was it? Which flower is most commonly associated with Van
Gogh?
What Next
Activity Description
Read "What Makes a Van Gogh a Van Gogh?" by Richard
Muhlberger, and other great books in the LMC.
Visit The Art Institute of Chicago and look for some of Van Gogh's paintings
Color The Sunflower using water colors. Try different colors to express different feelings
Design Your very own Bedroom. How is it different from Van Gogh's?
Paint Your version of A Starry Night using short brush strokes, bold color and swirls
Draw A View from my Bedroom Window. How can you depict sunlight playing on objects outside?
Solve The Van Gogh word search
Eat at Van Gogh Ear Cafe, Union, NJ, if you are ever in the Jersey state