Transcript Slide 1

Vincent Van Gogh
Have you seen this painting
before?
Worth over
200,000
IPAD 3’s
today !
= $105M
Irises ( 1890)
How about this one?
Worth over
300,000
IPAD 3’s
today !
= $150M
Portrait of Dr. Gachet ( 1890)
So who was Van Gogh and
why is he so famous?
 Dutch "Post Impressionist"
painter in the 19th Century
 His work is known for its:
 Rough beauty
 Emotional honesty
 Bold color
 His work had far reaching
influence on 20th-century
art
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
What is "post impressionist"
art?
 Typically used to describe French art
between 1886 - 1914
 Impressionist art was characterized
by the use of:
Paul Cezanne
(1839–1906)
Henri Rousseau
(1844-1910)
Vivid colors
 Thick application of paint
 Distinctive brush strokes
 Real life subject matter

 Post-impressionist art was inclined
to:
Emphasize geometric forms,
 Distort form for expressive effect,
 Use unnatural or arbitrary color

Georges Seurat(1859–1891)
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte
(available at the Art Institute of Chicago)
Van Gogh's childhood and
early life
Born: March, 30th 1853 in Southern
Holland
He was regarded as a quiet child
who demonstrated no
inclination or talent for art
Received his first instruction in
drawing in middle school
At age 16, he started working at a
firm of art dealers, then as a
bookstore clerk and then as a
missionary to miners in
Belgium
Becoming an Artist
(1883-1886)
Vincent's brother Theo
encouraged him to pursue
art
Van Gogh taught himself
how to draw at home
He tested various different
techniques and styles along
with experimenting with
different subject matters
Many of his early pieces were
dark and serious, in the style
of earlier Dutch painters-heavy and rich using a
palette of dark colors
Some of his early work
Most of his work depicted
peasant life, which could
be attributed to his work
with the miners in
Belgium.
The Potato Eaters (1885)
Move to Paris (1886)
 Van Gogh moved to Paris at his
brother's suggestion in 1886
 In Paris, he came into contact
with several neo-impressionist,
impressionist and Japanese
artists who greatly influenced his
style of painting
 While at Paris, Van Gogh mostly
focused on portraits and still-life
paintings
Paris Works (1886-1888)
Influenced by
Monet, Van Gogh
began playing with
colors to depict
natural light in his
work, such as in
“Still Life with
Lemons on a
Plate”(1887).
Paris Works (1886-1888)
Influenced by
Bernard, he adopted
elements of
‘pointillism’, as seen in
“Restaurant de la
Sirene at
Asnieres”(1887).
Paris Works (1886-1888)
Influenced by
Monticelli, Van
Gogh adopted a
brighter palette and
a bolder colors,
particularly in
paintings such as
his “Seascape at
Saintes-Maries”
(1888).
Paris Works (1886-1888)
Influenced by
Japanese Art and
woodblock prints, Van
Gogh incorporated
distinctive cropping of
objects in his
compositions, bold
and assertive outlines,
and flat regions of
uniform color, and
uniform lighting.
Move to Arles (1888)
In 1888, tired of the life in
Paris, Van Gogh left for
Arles
He was enchanted by the
local landscape and the
vibrant light in Arles
He painted local
landscapes using a gridded
"perspective frame". The
patchwork of fields and
avenues appear flat and
lack perspective, but excel
in their intensity of color.
Work at Arles (1888)
His works from the
period are richly
draped in yellow,
ultramarine and
mauve.
He would sketch
different versions
before painting to help
evoke the particular
feeling he wanted.
He also used symbols,
such as flowers that
represented sun in the
"Willows at Sunset”
Work at Yellow House, Arles
(1888-1889)
After living in Arles for
several months,
Vincent van Gogh
leased several rooms in
a brightly colored
house in town, which
he called the Yellow
House.
It is here that he
created some of his
most famous paintings
like the ones with the
“Twelve Sunflowers”
and “The Bedroom in
Arles”.
Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers
(1888)
Vincent created a famous
series of sunflowers in vases
to decorate his friend and
artist Paul Gauguin
bedroom in Arles.
He utilized yellow and
brown tones to emit the
various emotions of
sunflowers based on
sunlight.
This painting currently
resides in the National
Gallery, London UK.
Vincent’s Bedroom in Arles
(1888)
"Bedroom in Arles" shows
Van Gogh’s knowledge of
color theory with oranges
against blues, and red and
greens
He omitted shadows from
the picture. The lack of
shadows, along with the
distorted perspective,
makes some of the objects
appear to be falling or not
steady
This painting resides in the
Van Gogh Museum,
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Move to Saint Remy (1889)
 Shortly thereafter, due to ill health,
Van Gogh was forced into an asylum
in nearby Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
 It is while here that he created “Starry
Night”, that has become one of the
most celebrated art masterpieces of
all time.
 “Irises” was another famous painting
from his last years, inspired by the
nature surrounding him. The use of
black contours in Irises is a typical
element of Japanese woodblock
prints.
Starry Night (1889)
"Starry Night" depicts his
signature style of using
visible and swirling
brush strokes and
intense color choices
which might show his
mood and state of mind.
The “Starry Night” offers
a great example of
movement in painting.
This painting resides in
the Museum of Modern
Art, New York.
Some interesting facts about
Vincent Van Gogh
 Van Gogh died on July 29, 1890 at the age of 37
 Within a 10 year span, he produced around
 900 oil and water color paintings,
 1100 drawings and sketches
 40 self-portraits
 That's about a painting or sketch every other day!
 However, during his entire lifetime he only sold one
painting!
The Red Vineyard
Sold for 350400 francs
which is less
than $100 in
today’s worth.
Thank you
Review Trivia
 What country is Van Gogh from?
 What country did Van Gogh create most of his paintings?
 What are some of the artistic features of a Van Gogh





painting?
What varieties of paintings did Van Gogh create?
What were the subjects of Van Gogh’s paintings?
What is the name of Van Gogh’s most famous painting?
Van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime - which
one was it?
Which flower is most commonly associated with Van Gogh?
What Next
Activity
Read
Description
"What Makes a Van Gogh a Van Gogh?" by Richard Muhlberger, and other
great books in the LMC.
Visit
The Art Institute of Chicago and look for some of Van Gogh's paintings
Color
The Sunflower using water colors. Try different colors to express different
feelings
Design
Your very own Bedroom. How is it different from Van Gogh's?
Paint
Your version of A Starry Night using short brush strokes, bold color and
swirls
Draw
A View from my Bedroom Window. How can you depict sunlight playing
on objects outside?
Solve
The Van Gogh word search
Eat at
Van Gogh Ear Cafe, Union, NJ, if you are ever in the Jersey state