|
Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890)"Van Gogh has been the subject of unrelenting research. In addition, the drama of his life embellishes as well as obscures the appreciation of his art. He remains his best biographer." Museum of Modern Art, New York Artists suffer from mental illnesses and are unappreciated in their lifetime. Well, that is the stereotype built by the somewhat misunderstood story of Vincent van Gogh. In regards to his mental illness, most people with a basic understanding of art believe that he cut off his ear, was admitted to a mental asylum and killed himself in a fit of depression. In truth, van Gogh’s earlobe was cut off in the course of events that van Gogh had no recollection of. It has always been presumed that he cut off his ear in an act of madness, but two historians, Hans Kaufmann and Rita Wildegans, have argued that the lobe was actually severed by Gauguin and that Van Gogh covered for his friend by pretending to not remember what happened. Just as the loss of his ear lobe is a little more nuanced that the popular story proposes, so is the story of his mental illness. It is possible that van Gogh had suffered lead poisoning from using paints, suffered a side effect from drinking absinthe, had brain damage from syphilis or perhaps had a genetic condition. Discerning the exact nature of his mental state is complicated by the lucidness of his writings, which show the thoughts of a perfectly sane individual. He was a man of passion, which led to conflicts with others, but few people avoid conflict completely in their lives. His brother Theo van Gogh recognised that he could be difficult at times, but he was also highly appreciative. In his own words, “ It is as if he had two persons in him – one marvellously gifted, delicate and tender, the other egotistical and hardhearted.” Again, it is a fairly typical characteristic of artists who deal with a social world that rejects them as they desperately seek acceptance. In regards to assessments of himself, Vincent seemed to have some problems with self-control. He said things such as, “I sometimes make small sketches almost against my will” Such comments are fairly typical of the right brain dominating the left, which tends to happen when art is created. Few artists could honestly say that they have never done things they don't later regret. In regards to his suicide, van Gogh did not shot himself in a fit of madness. He received news that his brother was struggling financially and that his nephrew was sick. He then decided that he no longer wanted to be a burden. However, the manner of his death suggests that he didn’t really want to die. He walked into the fields with his easel and a revolver, perhaps still undecided about which he should use. He decided upon the revolver but his decision to shot himself in the stomach rather than head or heart was perhaps an indication that he was not certain of his wish to die. After the shot, Vincent walked back to his room, and lay on his bed. He was discovered by the landlord, who sent for Theo. Over the 36 hours that it took Vincent to die, the two brothers talked, and hoped for the best. Psychiatrist Dietrich Blumer summed up the diverse views on his illness when he wrote, “Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) had an eccentric personality and unstable moods, suffered from recurrent psychotic episodes during the last 2 years of his extraordinary life, and committed suicide at the age of 37. Despite limited evidence, well over 150 physicians have ventured a perplexing variety of diagnoses of his illness. Henri Gastaut, in a study of the artist’s life and medical history published in 1956, identified van Gogh’s major illness during the last 2 years of his life as temporal lobe epilepsy precipitated by the use of absinthe in the presence of an early limbic lesion. In essence, Gastaut confirmed the diagnosis originally made by the French physicians who had treated van Gogh. However, van Gogh had earlier suffered two distinct episodes of reactive depression, and there are clearly bipolar aspects to his history. Both episodes of depression were followed by sustained periods of increasingly high energy and enthusiasm, first as an evangelist and then as an artist. The highlights of van Gogh’s life and letters are reviewed and discussed in an effort toward better understanding of the complexity of his illness.” ( Am J Psychiatry 159:519-526, April 2002 American Psychiatric Association) Another misconception about van Gogh was that he was unappreciated in his lifetime. In truth, he only spent 10 years of his life making art and only 6 years making paintings. In those six years, he elicited more faith and more support than most artists garner in their lifetime. Some of this support came from his brother Theo, who had such faith in his work that he gave van Gogh an allowance so that he could create. Paul Gauguin and Toulouse-Lautrec also gave ardent support. Gauguin shared a house in Arles and wrote highly in his diary of van Gogh’s worth. Toulouse-Lautrec made van Gogh welcome at his studio and challenged another artist to a duel after hearing him insult van Gogh’s work. An organisation of artists and writers, known as Les Vingt, were also supporters. Organisers of an 1890 show specifically sought Vincent's work for inclusion. At the exhibition, his work was hung alongside Redon, Lautrec, Renoir and Cezanne. Admittedly, the painter Henry De Groux protested against the inclusion of Vincent’s Pot of Sunflowers, but as a result of his protest, De Groux was “permitted” to resign from Les Vingt. At the exhibition, one of his works was puchased by fellow artist Anna Bock.
The Red Vineyard Van Gogh only sold one painting publicly in his life, the Red Vineyard, to artist Anna Bock. He also exchanged paintings for art supplies and Gauguin wrote of him selling paintings and then giving money to beggers. Finally, the art criticising Albert Aurier recognised the genius in his work, and wrote in an avant-garde magazine in 1890, “He is, as far as I know, the only painter who perceives the coloration of things with such intensity.” If van Gogh had not shot himself later that year, he would have become a commercial success in his lifetime. 6 months after his suicide, he was one of the most popular artists in Europe. The real tragedy of van Gogh was not that others lacked faith in him, but that he lacked faith in himself. He struggled intensely with praise and rewards. As a child, he once made a model of elephant, but after being praised by his parents, he destroyed it. When he was a preacher, he would give his cloths and food to the poor, as if he felt unworthy of them himself. The memoirs of Gauguin cite that when making a sale of his art, he gave the little money he earned to beggars on the streets. Again, he seemed to feel that the beggar was more worthy. When the critic Aurier praised the genius of his work, Vincent requested that no more complimentary articles be written. In 1890, his career showed the signs of taking off just when his brother’s financial situation was at its most dire. Vincent just didn’t have the faith in himself that success would provide a solution, or perhaps, he felt he was unworthy of success that he knew was coming.
Vincent van Gogh’s styleVan Gogh’s style was a hybrid of Seurat’s pointillism and Japanese prints. He took Serat’s ideas on complimentary colour use and their psychological connotations and used them to communicate the emotion of the scene. From the Japanese prints, he borrowed the idea of fencing areas off with black lines. Artistic influences on Van Gogh
Hiroshige, "Great Bridge, Sudden Shower at Atake" - Van Gogh, "The Bridge in the Rain" Van Gogh’s unique style seemed to be a combination of Suerat’s Pointillism combined with Japanese prints and then infused with his own emotional intensity.
Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings of the chairs of Gauguin and his own seem to indicate that he had some idea about reflecting personality in geometric form. Each chair seems to be reflective of the personality of the owner. Vincent’s chair is rough and workmanlike. On the other hand, Gauguin’s chair is curvaceous, and the two books give a more robust quality to the man who sat in it.
|
|||||
