Only when I fall do I get up again - Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh has left behind an astonishing collection of artworks, which when he died, no one had heard of. Later, his brother’s wife showcased his paintings and published his letters. Else he may have been lost to the world.

In just over a decade he created about 2100 artworks including 860 oil paintings (43 self portraits)! He painted whatever inspired him - still life, portraits of friends and acquaintances and scenes around him. ‘I see drawings and pictures in the poorest of huts and the dirtiest of corners’ - He once said.

Today this Dutch post-impressionist figures amongst the most influential and famous artists on western art history.

Vincent struggled for recognition of his work. He sold only one painting - The Red Vineyard.

He was in his late 20s, when he became interested in people and scenes around him and started to draw them.

Vincent joined art schools a couple of times. Unhappy with having to follow rules and methods, he moved on quickly.

He went to Amsterdam to meet his cousin Anton Mauve who was the successful artist that Vincent wanted to be. Not keen to teach Vincent, Anton, sent him back suggesting that he should work in charcoal and pastels. Vincent took it seriously and did for about 6 months. Anton later taught him to watercolour for about one month. He then started to use oil paints. He liked it and spread paint liberally scrapping from the canvas, and working back and forth with the brush, happy with the results.

Vincent’s progression from single figure drawings to multi-figure compositions to Charcoal to Pastels to Oil painting seems to have happened between 1880 and 1882 - about 2 years! With no real formal training in Fine Arts, or even a substantial informal training!

Later he studied the colour theory and started to study the works of Master artists before his time. He broadened his palette. He paintings moved from dark to lighter and brighter palettes. He incorporated elements from Japanese art in his work. His later works had the illusion of depth as compared to his earlier flat scenery. Following Gauguin’s advice he painted from memory.

Vincent then started to adopt elements of pointillism, a technique in which a multitude of small coloured dots are applied to the canvas so that when seen from a distance they create an optical blend of hues. The style stresses the ability of complimentary colours including blue and orange to form vibrant contrasts.

He painted with intense expressivity and extraordinary sense of colour.

‘ Colour expresses something in itself’ he said. Yellow meant the most to him - He used it as a symbol for sunlight, god and life. His work is described as having fire, intensity and sunshine!

Galleries with Van Goghs on display are:

The Van Gogh museum - Amsterdam National Gallery - London MOMA - new York Kroller-Muller Museum - Netherlands

Google Arts and Crafts allows to study a Van Gogh based on the colours and the brush strokes he has used! And experience virtual walk throughs into some of the major art galleries.

‘What is done in love is done well’’ - he said.

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Published in colour Canvas in May 2018