Lesson 4 - Schama - Van Gogh

An epic reenactment!

Van Gogh was an artist hunted by his inability to grasp the peoples attention and fighting the demands within. Like many artist he started with humble beginnings, that lead to his desire to become a minister. His time with the ministry was very brief but that did not detour him from wanting to reach out to society and spread God's word, to do so Van Gogh began to paint. "In a way I'm glad I never learned painting, I know for certain that painting is in the very marrow of my bones. I want to do drawings that will touch people. I wanna get to the point that people say to my work that that man feels deeply."With no prior training in painting Van Gogh finished his first piece, the potato eaters. 

The Potato Eaters - Vincent Van Gogh

This gray brown, dirty piece was not a piece the public understood or wanted. This piece shows the individuals who use manual labor to provide their food, it shows hardship. This is Van Gogh first masterpiece and he never knew it. Van Gogh brother who sold his paintings told him to use more colors and that this painting would not sell. With these instructions Van Gogh became addicted to colors such as gold and the beauty of nature. A few of his early paintings incuded His nature was earthier, truer and brighter than other artist. His paintings, Wheat field with Crows, Boots and cut flowers were all great paintings what buyers did not care to buy. To understand Van Gogh you must read his letters to his brother the art dealer. In these letters we find that Van Gogh is not only a very intelligent person but also a very anxious person. The inability to sell paintings isnt making his anxiety any better. The build up of anxiety became too much and Van Gogh suffered from an attack, during this attack to himself Van Gogh cut off his own ear lobe. So what now? Can Van Gogh still paint? Of course! It was just his ear! 

Van Gogh - self portrait 

After committing himself to an asylum Van Gogh started to see things is a newer light. His brush strokes were stronger, and his focus was stronger. In the paintings following his attack we start to see Van Gogh and his thoughts, resulting in Starry Night. 

Van Gogh - Starry Night

Here we see a calmness in the sky, The movements of the swirls and the brightness of colors. This would be a great seller and one that grasp that public's attention in the way that Van Gogh originally set out to do. By painting everyday Van Gogh kept his attacks at bay until one day Van Gogh shot himself in the abdomen, later dying from fever. His closest family member, Theo the art dealer died a year later. Van Gogh did not live to see the impact his paintings have on society but his style and ability to translate movement and paint stokes began a new era of painters.