Page 32 - YGARTUA: Magnum Opus - volume three
P. 32
His emotions dictated his palette as he painted Bernard. As a result, he adopted brighter, more
according to his feelings Vincent van Gogh was vibrant colors in his art. The appearance of
one of the world’s greatest artists, with paintings Vincent Van Gogh’s art was transformed by his
such as ‘Starry Night’ and ‘Sunflowers,’ though experience of French Impressionist painting…
he was unknown until after his death. He was a For him, the quintessential Impressionist painter
Dutch post-impressionists painter who is among was always Monet.
the most famous and influential figures
in the history of Western art.
In just over a decade, he created
about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 Homage to Vincent William van Gogh. This
oil paintings, most of which date from the last painting portrays two of his self-portraits, the
two years of his life. They include landscapes, right hand-side, the self-portrait of 1887, now
still life, portraits and self-portraits (which he at the Art Institute of Chicago and on the left
did to practice painting people and majority hand-side, self-portrait of 1889 at the Musee
done in Paris -1886-88.) Born into an upper- d’Orsay and the center portrait I did from one
middle-class family, Van Gogh drew as a child of his early photographs (1870).The earlier
and was serious, quiet and thoughtful. As a portrait on the right hand side shows a more
young man he worked as an art dealer, often traditional style, even though there were
travelling. He turned to religion and spent time interesting colors and dubbing– but the painting
as a Protestant missionary in southern Belgium. on the left, has much more drama, originality
He moved back home with his parents and did and far more powerful - you can see at that
not start painting until his late twenties when point where his direction was going.
he moved to Paris for a two year period where
he met members of the avant-garde including It is interesting how his work developed in that
Emile Bernard and Paul Gaugin. While in Paris two year period during his sojourn in Paris,
he was greatly influenced by Impressionism possibly influenced by Monet and the Post-
and Post Impressionism and gained exposure Impressionist artists – introducing more color
to artists such as Gaugin, Pissarro, Monet and and the technique of dubbing.. I introduced
28
