Van Gogh.docx

 Vincent Van GoghZachary ScharmanDue: 4/3/14Art 1010 (T & TH 8:10)Mr. MckayI only knew a little about Vincent Van Gogh before I started this project. I knew that he had a very hard life, that he was a famous painter, and that he painted my all time favorite painting, Starry Night Over the Rhone. I learned that Van Gogh was even more famous and important then I had thought and that his style of painting would quickly become much more popular. I choose to do research on this artist because I recognized his name and his work. I think that he was one of the greatest artists of all time and that his style of painting is incredible and interesting. I expected to find a wealthy artist living in luxury and was surprised to find a poor and mentally ill man that sold only one painting during his lifetime.-333374638175Vincent was born in Groot-Zundert, Holland to Anna Cornelia Carbentus and Reverend Theodorus Van Gogh on March 30th, 1853. He attended both The Academie Royale des Beaux Arts in Brussels and The Academie des Beaux-Arts in Antwerp but disliked formal education. Most of his artistic education seems to have come from studying from books and observing the art of others (Hopkins). He went to museums and bought Japanese woodcuts. Van Gogh’s artistic influences also included Paul Gauguin, an artist famous for painting in many different styles. These two artists even lived together for a brief time but Gauguin left soon after Van Gogh cut off his own ear and attempted to give to a prostitute. Another artist that influenced Van Gogh’s work was Jean-Fran?ois Millet, a realist painter known for putting social criticism in his work (ex. Millet made peasants look holy in his piece, Les Glaneuses, while the upper class can barely be seen) (Brown, Hopf, Kogan). He was influence by both the movement of Impressionism, a less detailed and colorful movement known for painting outdoor scenes, and Post-Impressionism, an even more colorful movement that attempted to express more emotion and less realism. Personal event that influenced his art include his mental problems (including bipolar disorder and depression), his christian faith, the refusal of his marriage proposal to Eugenie Loyer, and his background as a preacher. I think that his mental problems were the largest personal influence on his paintings. It has been proven that mental illness encourages creativity in artists and sometimes caused an obsession with art that may led to excellent pieces (LiveScience Staff). Because Van Gogh spent so much time reading about art and studying the art of others he has many historical influences. The main influences include his lack of financial success and his relationship with peasants and workers (and how they were mistreated by the upper class). His works were also influenced by the artistic styles of Japan and he is noted to have said "all my work is based to some extent on Japanese art".39909751990725Van Gogh is well known for his paintings of landscapes and his many self-portraits but he also painted flowers, people, and religious paintings. Although Vincent started his artistic journey with drawings, he quickly transitioned to paintings after being taught by his cousin-in-law Anton Mauve, another influence on his artistic works, watercolor and oil painting (He used oil paint more often than watercolor). Van Gogh’s early paintings, created in the 1880’s, depicted people (usually the underclass) in great detail. His well known painting, The Potato Eaters, is a great example of this. Later Van Gogh, although he still painted figures, started painting more landscapes and objects. Van Gogh’s style transitioned from realistic to impressionist/post-impressionist during his life. He performed this transition when he moved to Paris and stayed with his brother, Theo. He was influenced by Paul Gauguin (a post-impressionist), Camille Pissarro (an impressionist), Claude Monet (an impressionist), and Emile Bernard (a post impressionist). Van Gogh’s main objectives, what he was trying to communicate in his art, were the ideas that there was nobility in hard work (especially in farming) and that, at least in my opinion, the world is beautiful, diverse, and mysterious.3762375200025-8096244000500Van Gogh was not accepted by the public during his lifetime. He only sold one of his paintings during his life, The Red Vineyard. Van Gogh was often mocked or shunned by the artistic community because of his obsessive behavior, refusal to yield to the artistic style popular during his life (realism), and his lack of social skills. The common people also thought he was odd and mocked him, especially right before he was committed to the asylum (when he cut off his ear). I personally think that Van Gogh’s work was great. I love his post-impressionistic style and I feel bad that he had such a hard life where he was unappreciated. I wish that he was living in a time where he could have received proper treatment for his mental and emotional problems.I think that the most important thing I learned was that Van Gogh was a tortured soul who created marvelous works of art despite his awful life. I think that whoever reads this should understand that Van Gogh was definitely mentally ill, that he was an amazing and skilled artist, and that he truly cared about people and wanted to be loved. I love this artist’s work and I hope that you can appreciate it as well.Works CitedGauguin Gallery. "Welcome to the Paul Gauguin Gallery." . Gauguin Gallery, 2014. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. <, Jennifer. "The Evolution of Vincent Van Gogh's Artwork." . Yahoo Contributor Network, 14 June 2009. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. < Gogh: The Life. "Further Reading." . Van Gogh: The Life Biography, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. < Van Gogh Gallery. "Artistic Influences." . Vincent Van Gogh Gallery, 2013. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. <;. ................
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