Van Gogh and a Lover for Life

Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most famous painters in history. There is no doubt that Van Gogh was a gifted painter. However, due to his unique origins and troubled life, Van Gogh has become mythologized by our pop culture. Van Gogh has been declared a mad genius. Many people believe that Van Gogh was unschooled in art, ignorant of art history, and his talent of painting came from his mental illness. However, this perception of Van Gogh is wrong. He was indeed knowledgeable of his predecessors and the contemporary artists of his day. Van Gogh was inspired by artist like his friend Gauguin, Millet, and Monet. Van Gogh was mostly self taught but he was not ignorant about art; he studied it enthusiastically. In his early life Van Gogh wanted to be a pastor like his father. In his early 20's he volunteered to become a pastor to a poor mining village. Van Gogh was extremely generous; he would give the miners his food, his clothes, and most if not all of his possessions. The ministry he was under became concerned by his behavior. They expelled him from the ministry due to his excessive behavior. Not knowing what he was to do next Van Gogh decided to become an artist. His younger brother, Theo, funded his artistic exhibitions. As an art dealer Theo agreed to sponsor his older brothers art. Throughout their lives Vincent and Theo were extremely close; Vincent would write his brother constantly, giving him descriptions of his work, events of his day to day life, and to keep his brother informed on his frame of mind. Overall Vincent's letters display his love for painting. Painting was an escape for Vincent closer to the end of his life, he decided to get away from the city and wanted to paint the countryside and nature. Van Gogh started a study of Cypresses during his self-admitted stay at the asylum of St. Paul in Saint Remy. Some scholars believe that the cypresses were a symbol of death, an opposite meaning of the sunflowers Van Gogh painted when he was in Arles. Van Gogh himself describes the sunflowers as gratitude towards life. Cypresses to these scholars are a representation of death. As in his painting Wheatfield with Cypresses, the cypresses are darker than the wheat and olive trees in the surrounding scenery. Even Though the Cypresses represent death in Van Gogh’s paintings, his bright colors and the constant movement of his paintings present a love for life. As can be seen in most of his paintings, Van Gogh painted what touched  him and painting nature gave him an escape and gave him peace.

   Vincent Van Gogh, Wheatfields with Cypresses, 1889, oil on canvas, 73.2 x 93.4 cm, Metropolitan Museum of Art #1993.132

During his time in Saint-Remy Van Gogh decided to start a study on Cypresses. Seeing them as a challenge to paint Van Gogh was adamant on perfecting them. In letter 822 to Theo, Van Gogh mentions the difficulty of painting the dark tall tree. Some scholars believe that cypresses were a representation of death, an opposite symbol of those sunflowers Van Gogh painted in Arles. The cypress in this painting is darker than the surrounding scenery, as a symbol of death this could be in respect or reverence. However, the painting is not totally about death the darkness of the cypress contrasts with its surroundings. The cypress is surrounded by vibrant yellows, blues, and greens. Death is surrounded by life. The darkness of the tree gives the wheat field a more vibrant look. It elevates the wheat field and the olive tree, as in the story of Noah the Dove brought back an olive branch, delivering a signal for a new life.   

    

Vincent Van Gogh, Country Road in Provence by Night, 12-15 May 1890, oil on canvas, 72 x 90.6 cm, Kroller-Muller Museum 108.488

Van Gogh told his brother “The cypresses still preoccupy me, I’d like to do something with them like the canvases of the sunflowers, because it astonishes me that no one has yet done as I see them. It’s beautiful as regards lines and proportions, like an Egyptian obelisk. And the green has such a distinguished quality.” From memory Van Gogh painted this country road scene shortly before leaving Saint-Remy. Darker than Wheatfield with Cypresses, this painting depicts a country road at night with a couple strolling along and a coming from the opposite side is a wagon. Just above the road is a tall dark cypress amidst a golden wheat field. In the background a house can be seen. Like Wheatfield with Cypresses the cypress is darker than its surroundings. Darker than even the night the cypress is looming over everything in the painting. The golden wheat brightens this painting, unlike in reality where it is expecting for the wheat to be a bit duller due to the lack of light, Van Gogh causes the wheat to shine bright. The contrasting of  the wheat and cypress prevents the painting from being dreadful. This painting is not a true landscape, it is a composite from Van Gogh’s memory. It could be said that Van Gogh painted this in memorial of Saint-Remy. This could explain the somber tone of the painting. As a true impressionist Van Gogh paints with heavy brush strokes allowing the viewer to see each stroke, giving the painting a smooth flowing quality to it. A memory of a place Van Gogh found to be beautiful. 

 Vincent Van Gogh, Sunflowers, January 1889, oil on canvas, 73 x 95 cm, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam s0031V1962

Sunflowers to Van Gogh were an important symbol of gratitude for life. His sunflower still lifes are bright and vibrant. Yellow takes up most of the canvas; he wanted to show that he could create variation with one color. Van Gogh painted sunflowers often when he was in Arles. Like the gold of the wheat field surrounding the cypress tree, the whole canvas is light with this color. This is a time of optimism and passion for Van Gogh. He was just setting up the Yellow House, which he planned to be a studio for his fellow artist to work and live. He invited his friend Paul Gauguin who came and stayed with him. Gauguin liked Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings so much that he asked for one of his sunflower paintings, which Van Gogh reluctantly gave.

 Vincent Van Gogh, The Pink Peach Tree, April-May 1888, oil on canvas, 60.2 x 80.9 cm, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam s0025V1962

The pink peach tree was a composite of multiple trees that Van Gogh saw during his first time in Arles. He painted this piece due to the fact he believed it would give many people much joy. At the time of his uncle’s death, Anton Mauve, Van Gogh dedicated his first painting of the Peach tree to his deceased uncle. Van Gogh painted another peach tree, which is this tree. He gave it to his brother Theo to sell.  The pink peach tree is different from his usual work, it has less motion than many of his other pieces. Looking at this piece it is very peaceful and soft. His brush strokes are still visible but they are noticeably more subdued than usual. It is understandable the reason he dedicated the earlier piece to his uncle, its complementary blue, white, and soft pinks give a sense of joy and peacefulness. Joy and Peace are things Van Gogh would definitely have wished for his uncle that gave him lessons in watercolors.  

 Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889, oil on canvas, 737 x 921mm Museum of Modern Art, Floor 5, 501

The most famous painting of Van Gogh’s career. Van Gogh painted this landscape scene while he was in residence in Saint-Remy. During his stay in the hospital, Van Gogh was inspired by his view outside his window to paint this famous landscape. The village below the sky is entirely fabricated. Out of memory, the village resembles that of his Dutch heritage. Like the Dutch landscape artists before him, the church with the large steeple would not be found in the south of France. This is a great example of impressionism, Van Gogh observing the scenery outside of his window, he is able to augment the landscape. Using brush strokes to create a glow and a soft radiation of power from the stars and moon above. The swift motion of the sky gives the painting life. The colors used the soft dark, blues and the soft yellows gives this painting subtly. In the middle of the painting is a large cypress. Being in the foreground gives the cypress the illusion of looming over the town and the rest of the scenery. The only thing larger than the cypress is the night sky. Like the wheat field the lively night sky over takes and surrounds the dark cypress. Life surrounds and overtakes the symbol of death. 

 Vincent Van Gogh, Olive Trees, 1889, oil on canvas, 73.66 x 92.71 cm, Minneapolis Institute of Art G355

Just like his studies of Sunflowers and Cypresses, Van Gogh painted many olive trees. In Christianity the olive tree is a sign of peace and life. Noah sent out a dove to see if there was any land after the rains flooded the earth. It came back with an olive branch as a sign that there was land. For Van Gogh the olive tree is used in the same way. To contrast the dark cypress in his Wheatfield with Cypress series Van Gogh uses the bright green of the olive tree. In this Painting Van Gogh uses the yellows and oranges that are seen in the wheat field. The sun takes up the entire sky. Like the sunflowers yellow is a dominant color. It is not a hot sun, but a warm sun, as if on a bright clear autumn day. The orange/brown and blue of the shadows of the olive trees gives away the cool of autumn. It is a lovely day, a beautiful day.