Vincent Van Gogh: Madman and Artist
Joey Pelliccia
Documented Essay
12/11/10
Vincent Van Gogh: Madman and Artist
Vincent Van Gogh, from the words of many, is one of the most famous post-impressionist painters of modern art the world has ever seen. Van Gogh was a serious, smart thinking man that found art to be the passion of his life. Van Gogh was a driven artist, but inside was a fragile, ill man that was consumed by his sickness. One way to fully understand Van Gogh’s thinking about his art,his thoughts, and his beliefs is through his letters that he had written to his younger brother Theodore. From Van Gogh’s art to his letters, one can truly see the passion and he put into every piece he created, as well as his emotions at the time. Vincent Van Gogh was was born on March 30, 1853 in Groot-Zundert, a village within the southern Netherlands. As a child, Van Gogh was found to be very serious as well as quiet and attended school within the village he lived in. Later on he attended middle school in Tilburg, the Netherlands and this is where he was taught how to draw and began to find drawing very intriguing. It wouldn’t be until he obtained a job working for an art dealer that his uncle helped get him into, his passion for art. Van Gogh had his own unique methods for the art he created. “Van Gogh created the drawings, which emphasizes that they, like the letters he wrote to his brother, Theo, were "regular and faithful records of what was on his mind." ” (American Artist 77). Van Gogh visualized many things and would simply go out and begin painting what he saw, the way he saw it in his mind. “He did not throw his paint on the canvas in a burst of emotion, but considered carefully the effects he was striving to achieve.” (Art Newspaper 49-50). Painting brought Van Gogh much joy in his life and is quoted to have said that, “The only time I feel alive is when I 'm painting.” “Van Gogh 's greatest resource was his visual memory and raw instincts.” (American Artist 77). Although Van
Documented Essay
12/11/10
Vincent Van Gogh: Madman and Artist
Vincent Van Gogh, from the words of many, is one of the most famous post-impressionist painters of modern art the world has ever seen. Van Gogh was a serious, smart thinking man that found art to be the passion of his life. Van Gogh was a driven artist, but inside was a fragile, ill man that was consumed by his sickness. One way to fully understand Van Gogh’s thinking about his art,his thoughts, and his beliefs is through his letters that he had written to his younger brother Theodore. From Van Gogh’s art to his letters, one can truly see the passion and he put into every piece he created, as well as his emotions at the time. Vincent Van Gogh was was born on March 30, 1853 in Groot-Zundert, a village within the southern Netherlands. As a child, Van Gogh was found to be very serious as well as quiet and attended school within the village he lived in. Later on he attended middle school in Tilburg, the Netherlands and this is where he was taught how to draw and began to find drawing very intriguing. It wouldn’t be until he obtained a job working for an art dealer that his uncle helped get him into, his passion for art. Van Gogh had his own unique methods for the art he created. “Van Gogh created the drawings, which emphasizes that they, like the letters he wrote to his brother, Theo, were "regular and faithful records of what was on his mind." ” (American Artist 77). Van Gogh visualized many things and would simply go out and begin painting what he saw, the way he saw it in his mind. “He did not throw his paint on the canvas in a burst of emotion, but considered carefully the effects he was striving to achieve.” (Art Newspaper 49-50). Painting brought Van Gogh much joy in his life and is quoted to have said that, “The only time I feel alive is when I 'm painting.” “Van Gogh 's greatest resource was his visual memory and raw instincts.” (American Artist 77). Although Van
Cited: | | | | |Bailey, Martin. How Van Gogh found beauty in the urban sprawl. Art Newspaper v. 19 (October 2010) p. 90 | |Bailey, Martin. Van Gogh 's letters: the definitive edition. Art Newspaper v. 18 (October 2009) p. 49-50 | |Collings, Matthew Think About van Gogh In a Different Way [Review article and exhibit]. Modern Painters v. 22 no. 1 (February 2010) p. 24-7| |Lee, D. The Real Van Gogh: the Artist and His Letters: Royal Academy of Arts [Exhibit preview]. Art Newspaper v. 19 (January 2010) p. 74 | |Lopez, J. A Life in Letters. Art & Antiques v. 33 no. 2 (February 2010) p. 48, 50 | |Dutch boy paint lasts forever. Art New England v. 21 no. 6 (October/November 2000) p. 23-5 |