Vincent van Gogh 1853 - 1890 Vincent van Gogh (VAN-GO) was born in The Netherlands on March 30, 1853. As a child he loved books and drawing, he was very accurate with his drawings at a very young age, but never had thoughts of being an artist. Vincent started out in the business of being an art dealer selling printed reproductions of artwork in London. Vincent was very compassionate for the poor and unfortunate. He decided art dealing was not the career for him and started training to be a minister. He studied 3 years in Amsterdam and Brussels but was unsuccessful with this when failed to pass his Church exams.

Worn Out, 1881 Worn Out, 1881 Although Vincent failed his exams he still went to serve as a minister in a mining area. This was a very hard life and he chose to live it as the miners did with little food or clothing, and poor hygiene. Most of the miners were thin, dirty, and sickly. At this time his art was inspired by the miners and their lives. Look at this piece of art by Vincent. What emotions are provoked? You can not see the face, how are emotions portrayed?

Les mangeurs de pommes de terre (The Potato Eaters), 1885 Van Gogh began to seriously study art at the age of 27. He was studying with several leading Dutch painters one of which was Anton Mauve. The style of these painters was very TONAL and did not use much color. Van Gogh focused his subject matter on the somber and hard life of peasants he spent a lot of time watching peasants in the fields and in their daily lives. Why is this painting considered a Tonal painting? How does this painting make you feel when you are looking at it? Explain your feelings? What does this painting make you wonder about these people?

Restaurant ‘de la Sirène’ (Restaurant de la Sirène at Asnières), 1887 In 1885 Vincent’s father died. This devastated him, and moved to Paris to live with his brother. He became more determined to be successful in his art career. He was living near the art district of Montmartre where the new movement of Impressionism was being explored. Impressionists believed that painting should be quick and an expression of a moment in time. Impressionist painters had a major influence on Vincent’s painting. He started painting with bright colors and his paintings were now of street scenes, café’s, and flowers rather than of hardworking peasants. Explain how this painting differs from the last two? How does this painting make you feel? Why do you think it has this effect on you?

Interiur d’un restaurant (Interior of a Restaurant), 1887 Vincent became friends with Paul Gauguin and Paul Signac who introduced him to the technique of Pointillism, a method of painting dots of pure color side by side and allowing your eyes to mix the colors when viewing the work. What are some similarities and differences between Impressionism and Pointillism? What style do you like better? Explain why?

The Langlois Bridge with Women Washing, 1888 The Langlois Bridge with Women Washing, 1888, oil on canvas, 27 x 32.5 in, Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller, Otterlo, Netherlands Vincent was still searching for his own unique artistic style. He became very interested in Japanese prints. The strong colors, sinuous line, and flat surfaces of these prints were a strong influence in his later works. What parts of this painting seem to be influenced by the Japanese prints of strong colors and lines?

Portrait of Père Tanguy, 1887 Portrait of Père Tanguy, 1887, oil on canvas, 36 x 30 in, Musée Rodin, Paris Vincent painted this portrait in exchange for art materials. Tanguy owned a small paint shop in Montmartre and helped out struggling artists. The backdrop is Japanese prints. This was a high complement to Tanguy because Japan represented Vincent’s Ideal world. What have you had to work for in order to get something that you really wanted? How have you helped someone in need?

Farmhouse in Provence, 1888 Farmhouse in Provence, 1888, oil on canvas, 18 ⅛ x 24 in, National Gallery, Washington, DC Harvest at La Crau, with Montmajour in the Background, 1888,oil on canvas, 36.5 x 46 in, van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands Marine, 1888 Vincent became tired of Paris and moved to southern France to the town of Arles in 1888. He brought what he had learned in Paris about light and color and applied it to the natural landscapes of southern France. He walked around for hours every day looking for a place to set up his easel, and would paint what he saw outdoors. This is called Plein Air painting. He began to love paint the landscapes around him of colorful skies, fruit trees, blossoms, seascapes, and boats. His paintings were full of energy with his quick brush strokes and bright colors. Compare and contrast these paintings. What are some things that you notice, wonder, or think when you are looking at these landscapes?

Still-Life: Sunflowers, 1888 Still-Life: Sunflowers, 1888, oil on canvas, 50 ¼ x 38 ¼ in, National Gallery, London 1888 was a fantastic year for Vincent. In a little over one year he painted about 200 paintings. Many of his most famous paintings were done in the summer of 1888, including “Sunflowers.” Vincent was consumed by painting, and spent as much time as he could creating art. What is something that you love to do and spend a lot of time with that activity? Vincent started eating too little and drinking too much. He became irritable, anxious, and sickly but constantly worked through it all. Though he created hundreds of paintings, he never sold any. He was poor and too much hard work was making him ill and he started to fear about his own sanity.

Vincent’s Bedroom in Arles, 1889 Vincent’s Bedroom in Arles, 1889, oil on canvas, 28.25 x 37 in, Art Institute of Chicago Van Gogh painted his bedroom and used colors to express a “totally restful feeling.” This painting shows elements of Van Gogh’s own style: uniform colors, broad, flat surfaces, complementary colors, freedom from the rules of perspective – meaning it does not look completely realistic. What do you see in Van Gogh’s bedroom that can tell us something about him?

Self-Portrait with Bandaged ear and Pipe, 1889 Self-Portrait with Bandaged ear and Pipe, 1889, oil on canvas, 20 x 18 in, Courtland Institute Galleries, London The real painting is in color In the summer of 1888 Vincent’s friend Gauguin moved in with him to the Yellow House. By December their relationship had grown tense. Vincent was having more frequent problems with illness, hallucinations, and anxiety. The night of December 23, 1888 Vincent was losing control of his sanity. A crisis erupted between the two of them and Gauguin decided to leave for the night. Vincent became so upset that he cut off his own ear and was found the next morning in his bed unconscious. Vincent was taken to a hospital and he remained unconscious for three days. In January, Vincent was released and was again painting at his home in the Yellow House. However, the neighbors were very scared and concerned about Vincent’s violent behavior. They wrote the mayor and Vincent was readmitted to the hospital. Explain a time where you have had a feeling of being anxious or overwhelmed? What are some ways to handle dealing with upset feelings? Self-Portrait with Bandaged ear and Pipe, 1889

Irises, 1889 Irises, 1889, medium, 35 ½ x 46 ½ in, Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, California In May of 1889 Vincent transferred himself from the hospital in Arles to the asylum at Saint Remy. Here his brother arranged for him to have a studio and Vincent began working from the inspiration around him. He painted the gardens, fountains and trees around the asylum. The doctors started to become sympathetic and allowed Vincent to go out on painting trips to make more plein air paintings. Van Gogh used his surroundings at the asylum for inspiration for his paintings. What are some things that inspire you to be creative?

Starry Night, 1889 Starry Night, 1889, oil on canvas, 29 x 36 ¼ in, Museum of Modern Art, New York “This morning I saw the countryside from my window a long time before sunrise, with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big,” wrote van Gogh to his brother Theo, describing his inspiration for “Starry Night.” Van Gogh was looking from the window of the asylum. He painted Starry Night, his most famous painting while in the asylum. What do you see in this painting? What kind of brush strokes do you see in this painting?

Portrait du docteur Gachet (Portrait of Dr. Gachet), 1890 Dr. Gachet was Vincent’s doctor at the asylum. Vincent often painted portraits of those who were kind to him. He feared his art would be forgotten however, he has become one of the most famous artists of all time. In 1990, 100 years after his death, Vincent’s painting “Dr. Gachet” was sold in New York for over $82 million which made it one of the most expensive paintings ever sold. What emotions are evoked in this painting?

Self-Portrait, 1889 Self-Portrait, 1889, oil on canvas, 32.5 x 27 in, Musée d’Orsay, Paris Vincent’s sanity continued to deteriorate and he took his life and died in 1890, at the age of 37. Van Gogh’s passionate, vibrant paintings were never famous during his lifetime. He never sold a single painting while he was alive. Shortly after his death, his artwork gained world wide recognition, and he is now one of the most influential artists in history. Though he was very unlucky, van Gogh deeply believed that all things have a vibrant spirit. He tried to show this spirit in his paintings by using quick brushstrokes with swirling movement. Like many other artists, Van Gogh’s style changes a lot through his painting career. Which style do you like the best? Why? Look at the textures in this portrait. What do the brush strokes add or take away from the painting?