Once you tire of the ‘coffee shops’ etc, try the Van Gogh Museum. When I used to think of Van Gogh, it was of his out of this world mature style-the sunflower series, Starry Night, self portraits. Until I visited the Van Gogh Museum, I had no idea how much effort went into developing the style that we’re all familiar with. This man was not just a nutty creative savant who whipped this stuff out …he worked his ass off! The process of how he arrived at his highly articulated creative vision is fascinating and all on display in more or less chronological order in the museum. In the span of 8 years of intense labor, he progressed through a multitude of differing styles, until arriving at Arles primed to create the masterpieces he is known for, just 2 years before the end of his life.Started painting at 27, dead at 37. Perhaps prozac would have helped, then again, Starry Night may then have looked like something done by Thomas Kinkade.
2 comments:
Van Gogh has always held a special place in my heart. His art - in and of itself - is obviously without equal, but it was his life story that always affected me most deeply. Like you said,though, without the life story/situation, who knows what he would have produced.
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
It does seem like his vision and the tragic nature of his life were inseparable.
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