An Intimate Tale: Van Gogh at The National Gallery
The National Gallery's latest exhibition spotlights the beauty of Van Gogh's work...
By
Rhea Mathur
October 14, 2024
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers at the National Gallery contains sixty-one of the Dutch artist’s most celebrated works from 1888 to 1890, ranging from Starry Night over the Rhône (1888) to his Self Portrait (1889). Born in March 1853, the artist created a substantial body of work throughout his short life, now housed in collections across the world. When looking at the detail, colour, and vibrancy in each of these paintings, it is hard to reconcile the artist’s troubled reality with the joy and beauty he infused into his recreations of the world around him - and sometimes, of himself. The works in this exhibition do more than display still-lifes; they serve as windows into another universe inhabited by Van Gogh. In this universe, each colour in the sky is broken into distinct shades, only to be unified by his signature swirling lines.
This exhibition marks the centenary of the National Gallery's acquisition of two of his iconic oil paintings, Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh’s Chair (1888). Both of these works are included in the exhibition and are displayed in rooms titled Decoration and The Yellow House: An Artist’s Home, respectively. These two rooms, among the six that the exhibition spans, each focus on a specific period in Van Gogh’s life. In early May 1888, Van Gogh rented a studio in Arles, which by September had also become his home. He envisioned this space, known as the Yellow House, as a communal studio where fellow artists from Paris, including Paul Gauguin, could join him to work in the South of France. The works in the Decoration room were intended to adorn the walls of this studio house, a concept that reflects Van Gogh’s desire to create a collaborative and vibrant artist’s space.
One of the standout paintings in this room, The Yellow House (The Street) (1888), depicts the two-storey home with forest-green shutters, located near a bridge with a steam train passing by. The painting emphasizes two main colours: the yellow of the houses, pavement, and street, and the deep blue of the sky. Though not rich in intricate detail, Van Gogh places the house prominently in the centre of the townscape, expressing his pride in this new home. The painting captures a panoramic view of his environment, highlighting its significance in his life. His vision for decorating the house also extended to plans for exhibiting his work in Paris, as he considered how his art could be displayed publicly in a similar arrangement.
By the time we reach the fifth room, Van Gogh had experienced his first mental breakdown at the end of 1888 and subsequently lost possession of his beloved Yellow House. Despite this setback, he continued creating paintings and groupings intended for his imagined decoration projects. This fifth room brings together one of his most famous groupings, which he devised in 1889 while in Saint-Rémy.
What stands out in this collection is Van Gogh's persistent drive to not only capture what he saw, but also to transform it, reflecting the creative inspiration and vivid imagination the cities and countryside evoked in him. In his sunflower paintings, for example, Van Gogh meticulously paints each petal, its shadow, and the movement of colour along the stems. The dark, weathered centres of the sunflowers, layered with thick coats of paint, seem to rise from the canvas, as though the flowers were not confined to the surface but were expanding into the viewer's space.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh admitted himself into the Saint-Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital after suffering from a severe mental health crisis, which led him to cut off a part of his ear. Upon arriving in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, one of the first works painted by him was the view of the hospital garden. In this painting, titled The Garden of the Asylum of Saint-Rémy (1889), placed in the second room of the exhibition, Van Gogh captured the garden as it was in his imagination: a romantic spot for lovers to meet. The contrast between his mental condition and his work is evident in the way he portrayed the scene, using vibrant shades of green, red, pink, white, blue, and yellow to bring to life the overgrown shrubbery, thick trees with branches engulfing the garden roof, and French architecture. Though confined to a small area, including the garden, in his first week at the hospital, Van Gogh used oil paints and a free hand to paint a lush landscape that reflects his poetic imagination and sense of complete artistic freedom.
This breathtaking exhibition does not dwell on the end of Van Gogh’s life but instead celebrates his living, breathing imagination, expressed through oil on canvas. Rather than being packed with intricate details, these works leave room for the viewer’s own thoughts and interpretations to enter the scene. With Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, the National Gallery offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors in London to witness the spectacle of Vincent Van Gogh’s world.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is showing at The National Gallery until 19th January 2025.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers at the National Gallery contains sixty-one of the Dutch artist’s most celebrated works from 1888 to 1890, ranging from Starry Night over the Rhône (1888) to his Self Portrait (1889). Born in March 1853, the artist created a substantial body of work throughout his short life, now housed in collections across the world. When looking at the detail, colour, and vibrancy in each of these paintings, it is hard to reconcile the artist’s troubled reality with the joy and beauty he infused into his recreations of the world around him - and sometimes, of himself. The works in this exhibition do more than display still-lifes; they serve as windows into another universe inhabited by Van Gogh. In this universe, each colour in the sky is broken into distinct shades, only to be unified by his signature swirling lines.
This exhibition marks the centenary of the National Gallery's acquisition of two of his iconic oil paintings, Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh’s Chair (1888). Both of these works are included in the exhibition and are displayed in rooms titled Decoration and The Yellow House: An Artist’s Home, respectively. These two rooms, among the six that the exhibition spans, each focus on a specific period in Van Gogh’s life. In early May 1888, Van Gogh rented a studio in Arles, which by September had also become his home. He envisioned this space, known as the Yellow House, as a communal studio where fellow artists from Paris, including Paul Gauguin, could join him to work in the South of France. The works in the Decoration room were intended to adorn the walls of this studio house, a concept that reflects Van Gogh’s desire to create a collaborative and vibrant artist’s space.
One of the standout paintings in this room, The Yellow House (The Street) (1888), depicts the two-storey home with forest-green shutters, located near a bridge with a steam train passing by. The painting emphasizes two main colours: the yellow of the houses, pavement, and street, and the deep blue of the sky. Though not rich in intricate detail, Van Gogh places the house prominently in the centre of the townscape, expressing his pride in this new home. The painting captures a panoramic view of his environment, highlighting its significance in his life. His vision for decorating the house also extended to plans for exhibiting his work in Paris, as he considered how his art could be displayed publicly in a similar arrangement.
By the time we reach the fifth room, Van Gogh had experienced his first mental breakdown at the end of 1888 and subsequently lost possession of his beloved Yellow House. Despite this setback, he continued creating paintings and groupings intended for his imagined decoration projects. This fifth room brings together one of his most famous groupings, which he devised in 1889 while in Saint-Rémy.
What stands out in this collection is Van Gogh's persistent drive to not only capture what he saw, but also to transform it, reflecting the creative inspiration and vivid imagination the cities and countryside evoked in him. In his sunflower paintings, for example, Van Gogh meticulously paints each petal, its shadow, and the movement of colour along the stems. The dark, weathered centres of the sunflowers, layered with thick coats of paint, seem to rise from the canvas, as though the flowers were not confined to the surface but were expanding into the viewer's space.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh admitted himself into the Saint-Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital after suffering from a severe mental health crisis, which led him to cut off a part of his ear. Upon arriving in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, one of the first works painted by him was the view of the hospital garden. In this painting, titled The Garden of the Asylum of Saint-Rémy (1889), placed in the second room of the exhibition, Van Gogh captured the garden as it was in his imagination: a romantic spot for lovers to meet. The contrast between his mental condition and his work is evident in the way he portrayed the scene, using vibrant shades of green, red, pink, white, blue, and yellow to bring to life the overgrown shrubbery, thick trees with branches engulfing the garden roof, and French architecture. Though confined to a small area, including the garden, in his first week at the hospital, Van Gogh used oil paints and a free hand to paint a lush landscape that reflects his poetic imagination and sense of complete artistic freedom.
This breathtaking exhibition does not dwell on the end of Van Gogh’s life but instead celebrates his living, breathing imagination, expressed through oil on canvas. Rather than being packed with intricate details, these works leave room for the viewer’s own thoughts and interpretations to enter the scene. With Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, the National Gallery offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors in London to witness the spectacle of Vincent Van Gogh’s world.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is showing at The National Gallery until 19th January 2025.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers at the National Gallery contains sixty-one of the Dutch artist’s most celebrated works from 1888 to 1890, ranging from Starry Night over the Rhône (1888) to his Self Portrait (1889). Born in March 1853, the artist created a substantial body of work throughout his short life, now housed in collections across the world. When looking at the detail, colour, and vibrancy in each of these paintings, it is hard to reconcile the artist’s troubled reality with the joy and beauty he infused into his recreations of the world around him - and sometimes, of himself. The works in this exhibition do more than display still-lifes; they serve as windows into another universe inhabited by Van Gogh. In this universe, each colour in the sky is broken into distinct shades, only to be unified by his signature swirling lines.
This exhibition marks the centenary of the National Gallery's acquisition of two of his iconic oil paintings, Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh’s Chair (1888). Both of these works are included in the exhibition and are displayed in rooms titled Decoration and The Yellow House: An Artist’s Home, respectively. These two rooms, among the six that the exhibition spans, each focus on a specific period in Van Gogh’s life. In early May 1888, Van Gogh rented a studio in Arles, which by September had also become his home. He envisioned this space, known as the Yellow House, as a communal studio where fellow artists from Paris, including Paul Gauguin, could join him to work in the South of France. The works in the Decoration room were intended to adorn the walls of this studio house, a concept that reflects Van Gogh’s desire to create a collaborative and vibrant artist’s space.
One of the standout paintings in this room, The Yellow House (The Street) (1888), depicts the two-storey home with forest-green shutters, located near a bridge with a steam train passing by. The painting emphasizes two main colours: the yellow of the houses, pavement, and street, and the deep blue of the sky. Though not rich in intricate detail, Van Gogh places the house prominently in the centre of the townscape, expressing his pride in this new home. The painting captures a panoramic view of his environment, highlighting its significance in his life. His vision for decorating the house also extended to plans for exhibiting his work in Paris, as he considered how his art could be displayed publicly in a similar arrangement.
By the time we reach the fifth room, Van Gogh had experienced his first mental breakdown at the end of 1888 and subsequently lost possession of his beloved Yellow House. Despite this setback, he continued creating paintings and groupings intended for his imagined decoration projects. This fifth room brings together one of his most famous groupings, which he devised in 1889 while in Saint-Rémy.
What stands out in this collection is Van Gogh's persistent drive to not only capture what he saw, but also to transform it, reflecting the creative inspiration and vivid imagination the cities and countryside evoked in him. In his sunflower paintings, for example, Van Gogh meticulously paints each petal, its shadow, and the movement of colour along the stems. The dark, weathered centres of the sunflowers, layered with thick coats of paint, seem to rise from the canvas, as though the flowers were not confined to the surface but were expanding into the viewer's space.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh admitted himself into the Saint-Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital after suffering from a severe mental health crisis, which led him to cut off a part of his ear. Upon arriving in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, one of the first works painted by him was the view of the hospital garden. In this painting, titled The Garden of the Asylum of Saint-Rémy (1889), placed in the second room of the exhibition, Van Gogh captured the garden as it was in his imagination: a romantic spot for lovers to meet. The contrast between his mental condition and his work is evident in the way he portrayed the scene, using vibrant shades of green, red, pink, white, blue, and yellow to bring to life the overgrown shrubbery, thick trees with branches engulfing the garden roof, and French architecture. Though confined to a small area, including the garden, in his first week at the hospital, Van Gogh used oil paints and a free hand to paint a lush landscape that reflects his poetic imagination and sense of complete artistic freedom.
This breathtaking exhibition does not dwell on the end of Van Gogh’s life but instead celebrates his living, breathing imagination, expressed through oil on canvas. Rather than being packed with intricate details, these works leave room for the viewer’s own thoughts and interpretations to enter the scene. With Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, the National Gallery offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors in London to witness the spectacle of Vincent Van Gogh’s world.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is showing at The National Gallery until 19th January 2025.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers at the National Gallery contains sixty-one of the Dutch artist’s most celebrated works from 1888 to 1890, ranging from Starry Night over the Rhône (1888) to his Self Portrait (1889). Born in March 1853, the artist created a substantial body of work throughout his short life, now housed in collections across the world. When looking at the detail, colour, and vibrancy in each of these paintings, it is hard to reconcile the artist’s troubled reality with the joy and beauty he infused into his recreations of the world around him - and sometimes, of himself. The works in this exhibition do more than display still-lifes; they serve as windows into another universe inhabited by Van Gogh. In this universe, each colour in the sky is broken into distinct shades, only to be unified by his signature swirling lines.
This exhibition marks the centenary of the National Gallery's acquisition of two of his iconic oil paintings, Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh’s Chair (1888). Both of these works are included in the exhibition and are displayed in rooms titled Decoration and The Yellow House: An Artist’s Home, respectively. These two rooms, among the six that the exhibition spans, each focus on a specific period in Van Gogh’s life. In early May 1888, Van Gogh rented a studio in Arles, which by September had also become his home. He envisioned this space, known as the Yellow House, as a communal studio where fellow artists from Paris, including Paul Gauguin, could join him to work in the South of France. The works in the Decoration room were intended to adorn the walls of this studio house, a concept that reflects Van Gogh’s desire to create a collaborative and vibrant artist’s space.
One of the standout paintings in this room, The Yellow House (The Street) (1888), depicts the two-storey home with forest-green shutters, located near a bridge with a steam train passing by. The painting emphasizes two main colours: the yellow of the houses, pavement, and street, and the deep blue of the sky. Though not rich in intricate detail, Van Gogh places the house prominently in the centre of the townscape, expressing his pride in this new home. The painting captures a panoramic view of his environment, highlighting its significance in his life. His vision for decorating the house also extended to plans for exhibiting his work in Paris, as he considered how his art could be displayed publicly in a similar arrangement.
By the time we reach the fifth room, Van Gogh had experienced his first mental breakdown at the end of 1888 and subsequently lost possession of his beloved Yellow House. Despite this setback, he continued creating paintings and groupings intended for his imagined decoration projects. This fifth room brings together one of his most famous groupings, which he devised in 1889 while in Saint-Rémy.
What stands out in this collection is Van Gogh's persistent drive to not only capture what he saw, but also to transform it, reflecting the creative inspiration and vivid imagination the cities and countryside evoked in him. In his sunflower paintings, for example, Van Gogh meticulously paints each petal, its shadow, and the movement of colour along the stems. The dark, weathered centres of the sunflowers, layered with thick coats of paint, seem to rise from the canvas, as though the flowers were not confined to the surface but were expanding into the viewer's space.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh admitted himself into the Saint-Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital after suffering from a severe mental health crisis, which led him to cut off a part of his ear. Upon arriving in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, one of the first works painted by him was the view of the hospital garden. In this painting, titled The Garden of the Asylum of Saint-Rémy (1889), placed in the second room of the exhibition, Van Gogh captured the garden as it was in his imagination: a romantic spot for lovers to meet. The contrast between his mental condition and his work is evident in the way he portrayed the scene, using vibrant shades of green, red, pink, white, blue, and yellow to bring to life the overgrown shrubbery, thick trees with branches engulfing the garden roof, and French architecture. Though confined to a small area, including the garden, in his first week at the hospital, Van Gogh used oil paints and a free hand to paint a lush landscape that reflects his poetic imagination and sense of complete artistic freedom.
This breathtaking exhibition does not dwell on the end of Van Gogh’s life but instead celebrates his living, breathing imagination, expressed through oil on canvas. Rather than being packed with intricate details, these works leave room for the viewer’s own thoughts and interpretations to enter the scene. With Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, the National Gallery offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors in London to witness the spectacle of Vincent Van Gogh’s world.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is showing at The National Gallery until 19th January 2025.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers at the National Gallery contains sixty-one of the Dutch artist’s most celebrated works from 1888 to 1890, ranging from Starry Night over the Rhône (1888) to his Self Portrait (1889). Born in March 1853, the artist created a substantial body of work throughout his short life, now housed in collections across the world. When looking at the detail, colour, and vibrancy in each of these paintings, it is hard to reconcile the artist’s troubled reality with the joy and beauty he infused into his recreations of the world around him - and sometimes, of himself. The works in this exhibition do more than display still-lifes; they serve as windows into another universe inhabited by Van Gogh. In this universe, each colour in the sky is broken into distinct shades, only to be unified by his signature swirling lines.
This exhibition marks the centenary of the National Gallery's acquisition of two of his iconic oil paintings, Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh’s Chair (1888). Both of these works are included in the exhibition and are displayed in rooms titled Decoration and The Yellow House: An Artist’s Home, respectively. These two rooms, among the six that the exhibition spans, each focus on a specific period in Van Gogh’s life. In early May 1888, Van Gogh rented a studio in Arles, which by September had also become his home. He envisioned this space, known as the Yellow House, as a communal studio where fellow artists from Paris, including Paul Gauguin, could join him to work in the South of France. The works in the Decoration room were intended to adorn the walls of this studio house, a concept that reflects Van Gogh’s desire to create a collaborative and vibrant artist’s space.
One of the standout paintings in this room, The Yellow House (The Street) (1888), depicts the two-storey home with forest-green shutters, located near a bridge with a steam train passing by. The painting emphasizes two main colours: the yellow of the houses, pavement, and street, and the deep blue of the sky. Though not rich in intricate detail, Van Gogh places the house prominently in the centre of the townscape, expressing his pride in this new home. The painting captures a panoramic view of his environment, highlighting its significance in his life. His vision for decorating the house also extended to plans for exhibiting his work in Paris, as he considered how his art could be displayed publicly in a similar arrangement.
By the time we reach the fifth room, Van Gogh had experienced his first mental breakdown at the end of 1888 and subsequently lost possession of his beloved Yellow House. Despite this setback, he continued creating paintings and groupings intended for his imagined decoration projects. This fifth room brings together one of his most famous groupings, which he devised in 1889 while in Saint-Rémy.
What stands out in this collection is Van Gogh's persistent drive to not only capture what he saw, but also to transform it, reflecting the creative inspiration and vivid imagination the cities and countryside evoked in him. In his sunflower paintings, for example, Van Gogh meticulously paints each petal, its shadow, and the movement of colour along the stems. The dark, weathered centres of the sunflowers, layered with thick coats of paint, seem to rise from the canvas, as though the flowers were not confined to the surface but were expanding into the viewer's space.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh admitted himself into the Saint-Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital after suffering from a severe mental health crisis, which led him to cut off a part of his ear. Upon arriving in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, one of the first works painted by him was the view of the hospital garden. In this painting, titled The Garden of the Asylum of Saint-Rémy (1889), placed in the second room of the exhibition, Van Gogh captured the garden as it was in his imagination: a romantic spot for lovers to meet. The contrast between his mental condition and his work is evident in the way he portrayed the scene, using vibrant shades of green, red, pink, white, blue, and yellow to bring to life the overgrown shrubbery, thick trees with branches engulfing the garden roof, and French architecture. Though confined to a small area, including the garden, in his first week at the hospital, Van Gogh used oil paints and a free hand to paint a lush landscape that reflects his poetic imagination and sense of complete artistic freedom.
This breathtaking exhibition does not dwell on the end of Van Gogh’s life but instead celebrates his living, breathing imagination, expressed through oil on canvas. Rather than being packed with intricate details, these works leave room for the viewer’s own thoughts and interpretations to enter the scene. With Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, the National Gallery offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors in London to witness the spectacle of Vincent Van Gogh’s world.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is showing at The National Gallery until 19th January 2025.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers at the National Gallery contains sixty-one of the Dutch artist’s most celebrated works from 1888 to 1890, ranging from Starry Night over the Rhône (1888) to his Self Portrait (1889). Born in March 1853, the artist created a substantial body of work throughout his short life, now housed in collections across the world. When looking at the detail, colour, and vibrancy in each of these paintings, it is hard to reconcile the artist’s troubled reality with the joy and beauty he infused into his recreations of the world around him - and sometimes, of himself. The works in this exhibition do more than display still-lifes; they serve as windows into another universe inhabited by Van Gogh. In this universe, each colour in the sky is broken into distinct shades, only to be unified by his signature swirling lines.
This exhibition marks the centenary of the National Gallery's acquisition of two of his iconic oil paintings, Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh’s Chair (1888). Both of these works are included in the exhibition and are displayed in rooms titled Decoration and The Yellow House: An Artist’s Home, respectively. These two rooms, among the six that the exhibition spans, each focus on a specific period in Van Gogh’s life. In early May 1888, Van Gogh rented a studio in Arles, which by September had also become his home. He envisioned this space, known as the Yellow House, as a communal studio where fellow artists from Paris, including Paul Gauguin, could join him to work in the South of France. The works in the Decoration room were intended to adorn the walls of this studio house, a concept that reflects Van Gogh’s desire to create a collaborative and vibrant artist’s space.
One of the standout paintings in this room, The Yellow House (The Street) (1888), depicts the two-storey home with forest-green shutters, located near a bridge with a steam train passing by. The painting emphasizes two main colours: the yellow of the houses, pavement, and street, and the deep blue of the sky. Though not rich in intricate detail, Van Gogh places the house prominently in the centre of the townscape, expressing his pride in this new home. The painting captures a panoramic view of his environment, highlighting its significance in his life. His vision for decorating the house also extended to plans for exhibiting his work in Paris, as he considered how his art could be displayed publicly in a similar arrangement.
By the time we reach the fifth room, Van Gogh had experienced his first mental breakdown at the end of 1888 and subsequently lost possession of his beloved Yellow House. Despite this setback, he continued creating paintings and groupings intended for his imagined decoration projects. This fifth room brings together one of his most famous groupings, which he devised in 1889 while in Saint-Rémy.
What stands out in this collection is Van Gogh's persistent drive to not only capture what he saw, but also to transform it, reflecting the creative inspiration and vivid imagination the cities and countryside evoked in him. In his sunflower paintings, for example, Van Gogh meticulously paints each petal, its shadow, and the movement of colour along the stems. The dark, weathered centres of the sunflowers, layered with thick coats of paint, seem to rise from the canvas, as though the flowers were not confined to the surface but were expanding into the viewer's space.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh admitted himself into the Saint-Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital after suffering from a severe mental health crisis, which led him to cut off a part of his ear. Upon arriving in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, one of the first works painted by him was the view of the hospital garden. In this painting, titled The Garden of the Asylum of Saint-Rémy (1889), placed in the second room of the exhibition, Van Gogh captured the garden as it was in his imagination: a romantic spot for lovers to meet. The contrast between his mental condition and his work is evident in the way he portrayed the scene, using vibrant shades of green, red, pink, white, blue, and yellow to bring to life the overgrown shrubbery, thick trees with branches engulfing the garden roof, and French architecture. Though confined to a small area, including the garden, in his first week at the hospital, Van Gogh used oil paints and a free hand to paint a lush landscape that reflects his poetic imagination and sense of complete artistic freedom.
This breathtaking exhibition does not dwell on the end of Van Gogh’s life but instead celebrates his living, breathing imagination, expressed through oil on canvas. Rather than being packed with intricate details, these works leave room for the viewer’s own thoughts and interpretations to enter the scene. With Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, the National Gallery offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors in London to witness the spectacle of Vincent Van Gogh’s world.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is showing at The National Gallery until 19th January 2025.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers at the National Gallery contains sixty-one of the Dutch artist’s most celebrated works from 1888 to 1890, ranging from Starry Night over the Rhône (1888) to his Self Portrait (1889). Born in March 1853, the artist created a substantial body of work throughout his short life, now housed in collections across the world. When looking at the detail, colour, and vibrancy in each of these paintings, it is hard to reconcile the artist’s troubled reality with the joy and beauty he infused into his recreations of the world around him - and sometimes, of himself. The works in this exhibition do more than display still-lifes; they serve as windows into another universe inhabited by Van Gogh. In this universe, each colour in the sky is broken into distinct shades, only to be unified by his signature swirling lines.
This exhibition marks the centenary of the National Gallery's acquisition of two of his iconic oil paintings, Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh’s Chair (1888). Both of these works are included in the exhibition and are displayed in rooms titled Decoration and The Yellow House: An Artist’s Home, respectively. These two rooms, among the six that the exhibition spans, each focus on a specific period in Van Gogh’s life. In early May 1888, Van Gogh rented a studio in Arles, which by September had also become his home. He envisioned this space, known as the Yellow House, as a communal studio where fellow artists from Paris, including Paul Gauguin, could join him to work in the South of France. The works in the Decoration room were intended to adorn the walls of this studio house, a concept that reflects Van Gogh’s desire to create a collaborative and vibrant artist’s space.
One of the standout paintings in this room, The Yellow House (The Street) (1888), depicts the two-storey home with forest-green shutters, located near a bridge with a steam train passing by. The painting emphasizes two main colours: the yellow of the houses, pavement, and street, and the deep blue of the sky. Though not rich in intricate detail, Van Gogh places the house prominently in the centre of the townscape, expressing his pride in this new home. The painting captures a panoramic view of his environment, highlighting its significance in his life. His vision for decorating the house also extended to plans for exhibiting his work in Paris, as he considered how his art could be displayed publicly in a similar arrangement.
By the time we reach the fifth room, Van Gogh had experienced his first mental breakdown at the end of 1888 and subsequently lost possession of his beloved Yellow House. Despite this setback, he continued creating paintings and groupings intended for his imagined decoration projects. This fifth room brings together one of his most famous groupings, which he devised in 1889 while in Saint-Rémy.
What stands out in this collection is Van Gogh's persistent drive to not only capture what he saw, but also to transform it, reflecting the creative inspiration and vivid imagination the cities and countryside evoked in him. In his sunflower paintings, for example, Van Gogh meticulously paints each petal, its shadow, and the movement of colour along the stems. The dark, weathered centres of the sunflowers, layered with thick coats of paint, seem to rise from the canvas, as though the flowers were not confined to the surface but were expanding into the viewer's space.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh admitted himself into the Saint-Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital after suffering from a severe mental health crisis, which led him to cut off a part of his ear. Upon arriving in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, one of the first works painted by him was the view of the hospital garden. In this painting, titled The Garden of the Asylum of Saint-Rémy (1889), placed in the second room of the exhibition, Van Gogh captured the garden as it was in his imagination: a romantic spot for lovers to meet. The contrast between his mental condition and his work is evident in the way he portrayed the scene, using vibrant shades of green, red, pink, white, blue, and yellow to bring to life the overgrown shrubbery, thick trees with branches engulfing the garden roof, and French architecture. Though confined to a small area, including the garden, in his first week at the hospital, Van Gogh used oil paints and a free hand to paint a lush landscape that reflects his poetic imagination and sense of complete artistic freedom.
This breathtaking exhibition does not dwell on the end of Van Gogh’s life but instead celebrates his living, breathing imagination, expressed through oil on canvas. Rather than being packed with intricate details, these works leave room for the viewer’s own thoughts and interpretations to enter the scene. With Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, the National Gallery offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors in London to witness the spectacle of Vincent Van Gogh’s world.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is showing at The National Gallery until 19th January 2025.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers at the National Gallery contains sixty-one of the Dutch artist’s most celebrated works from 1888 to 1890, ranging from Starry Night over the Rhône (1888) to his Self Portrait (1889). Born in March 1853, the artist created a substantial body of work throughout his short life, now housed in collections across the world. When looking at the detail, colour, and vibrancy in each of these paintings, it is hard to reconcile the artist’s troubled reality with the joy and beauty he infused into his recreations of the world around him - and sometimes, of himself. The works in this exhibition do more than display still-lifes; they serve as windows into another universe inhabited by Van Gogh. In this universe, each colour in the sky is broken into distinct shades, only to be unified by his signature swirling lines.
This exhibition marks the centenary of the National Gallery's acquisition of two of his iconic oil paintings, Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh’s Chair (1888). Both of these works are included in the exhibition and are displayed in rooms titled Decoration and The Yellow House: An Artist’s Home, respectively. These two rooms, among the six that the exhibition spans, each focus on a specific period in Van Gogh’s life. In early May 1888, Van Gogh rented a studio in Arles, which by September had also become his home. He envisioned this space, known as the Yellow House, as a communal studio where fellow artists from Paris, including Paul Gauguin, could join him to work in the South of France. The works in the Decoration room were intended to adorn the walls of this studio house, a concept that reflects Van Gogh’s desire to create a collaborative and vibrant artist’s space.
One of the standout paintings in this room, The Yellow House (The Street) (1888), depicts the two-storey home with forest-green shutters, located near a bridge with a steam train passing by. The painting emphasizes two main colours: the yellow of the houses, pavement, and street, and the deep blue of the sky. Though not rich in intricate detail, Van Gogh places the house prominently in the centre of the townscape, expressing his pride in this new home. The painting captures a panoramic view of his environment, highlighting its significance in his life. His vision for decorating the house also extended to plans for exhibiting his work in Paris, as he considered how his art could be displayed publicly in a similar arrangement.
By the time we reach the fifth room, Van Gogh had experienced his first mental breakdown at the end of 1888 and subsequently lost possession of his beloved Yellow House. Despite this setback, he continued creating paintings and groupings intended for his imagined decoration projects. This fifth room brings together one of his most famous groupings, which he devised in 1889 while in Saint-Rémy.
What stands out in this collection is Van Gogh's persistent drive to not only capture what he saw, but also to transform it, reflecting the creative inspiration and vivid imagination the cities and countryside evoked in him. In his sunflower paintings, for example, Van Gogh meticulously paints each petal, its shadow, and the movement of colour along the stems. The dark, weathered centres of the sunflowers, layered with thick coats of paint, seem to rise from the canvas, as though the flowers were not confined to the surface but were expanding into the viewer's space.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh admitted himself into the Saint-Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital after suffering from a severe mental health crisis, which led him to cut off a part of his ear. Upon arriving in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, one of the first works painted by him was the view of the hospital garden. In this painting, titled The Garden of the Asylum of Saint-Rémy (1889), placed in the second room of the exhibition, Van Gogh captured the garden as it was in his imagination: a romantic spot for lovers to meet. The contrast between his mental condition and his work is evident in the way he portrayed the scene, using vibrant shades of green, red, pink, white, blue, and yellow to bring to life the overgrown shrubbery, thick trees with branches engulfing the garden roof, and French architecture. Though confined to a small area, including the garden, in his first week at the hospital, Van Gogh used oil paints and a free hand to paint a lush landscape that reflects his poetic imagination and sense of complete artistic freedom.
This breathtaking exhibition does not dwell on the end of Van Gogh’s life but instead celebrates his living, breathing imagination, expressed through oil on canvas. Rather than being packed with intricate details, these works leave room for the viewer’s own thoughts and interpretations to enter the scene. With Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, the National Gallery offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors in London to witness the spectacle of Vincent Van Gogh’s world.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is showing at The National Gallery until 19th January 2025.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers at the National Gallery contains sixty-one of the Dutch artist’s most celebrated works from 1888 to 1890, ranging from Starry Night over the Rhône (1888) to his Self Portrait (1889). Born in March 1853, the artist created a substantial body of work throughout his short life, now housed in collections across the world. When looking at the detail, colour, and vibrancy in each of these paintings, it is hard to reconcile the artist’s troubled reality with the joy and beauty he infused into his recreations of the world around him - and sometimes, of himself. The works in this exhibition do more than display still-lifes; they serve as windows into another universe inhabited by Van Gogh. In this universe, each colour in the sky is broken into distinct shades, only to be unified by his signature swirling lines.
This exhibition marks the centenary of the National Gallery's acquisition of two of his iconic oil paintings, Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh’s Chair (1888). Both of these works are included in the exhibition and are displayed in rooms titled Decoration and The Yellow House: An Artist’s Home, respectively. These two rooms, among the six that the exhibition spans, each focus on a specific period in Van Gogh’s life. In early May 1888, Van Gogh rented a studio in Arles, which by September had also become his home. He envisioned this space, known as the Yellow House, as a communal studio where fellow artists from Paris, including Paul Gauguin, could join him to work in the South of France. The works in the Decoration room were intended to adorn the walls of this studio house, a concept that reflects Van Gogh’s desire to create a collaborative and vibrant artist’s space.
One of the standout paintings in this room, The Yellow House (The Street) (1888), depicts the two-storey home with forest-green shutters, located near a bridge with a steam train passing by. The painting emphasizes two main colours: the yellow of the houses, pavement, and street, and the deep blue of the sky. Though not rich in intricate detail, Van Gogh places the house prominently in the centre of the townscape, expressing his pride in this new home. The painting captures a panoramic view of his environment, highlighting its significance in his life. His vision for decorating the house also extended to plans for exhibiting his work in Paris, as he considered how his art could be displayed publicly in a similar arrangement.
By the time we reach the fifth room, Van Gogh had experienced his first mental breakdown at the end of 1888 and subsequently lost possession of his beloved Yellow House. Despite this setback, he continued creating paintings and groupings intended for his imagined decoration projects. This fifth room brings together one of his most famous groupings, which he devised in 1889 while in Saint-Rémy.
What stands out in this collection is Van Gogh's persistent drive to not only capture what he saw, but also to transform it, reflecting the creative inspiration and vivid imagination the cities and countryside evoked in him. In his sunflower paintings, for example, Van Gogh meticulously paints each petal, its shadow, and the movement of colour along the stems. The dark, weathered centres of the sunflowers, layered with thick coats of paint, seem to rise from the canvas, as though the flowers were not confined to the surface but were expanding into the viewer's space.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh admitted himself into the Saint-Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital after suffering from a severe mental health crisis, which led him to cut off a part of his ear. Upon arriving in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, one of the first works painted by him was the view of the hospital garden. In this painting, titled The Garden of the Asylum of Saint-Rémy (1889), placed in the second room of the exhibition, Van Gogh captured the garden as it was in his imagination: a romantic spot for lovers to meet. The contrast between his mental condition and his work is evident in the way he portrayed the scene, using vibrant shades of green, red, pink, white, blue, and yellow to bring to life the overgrown shrubbery, thick trees with branches engulfing the garden roof, and French architecture. Though confined to a small area, including the garden, in his first week at the hospital, Van Gogh used oil paints and a free hand to paint a lush landscape that reflects his poetic imagination and sense of complete artistic freedom.
This breathtaking exhibition does not dwell on the end of Van Gogh’s life but instead celebrates his living, breathing imagination, expressed through oil on canvas. Rather than being packed with intricate details, these works leave room for the viewer’s own thoughts and interpretations to enter the scene. With Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, the National Gallery offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors in London to witness the spectacle of Vincent Van Gogh’s world.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is showing at The National Gallery until 19th January 2025.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers at the National Gallery contains sixty-one of the Dutch artist’s most celebrated works from 1888 to 1890, ranging from Starry Night over the Rhône (1888) to his Self Portrait (1889). Born in March 1853, the artist created a substantial body of work throughout his short life, now housed in collections across the world. When looking at the detail, colour, and vibrancy in each of these paintings, it is hard to reconcile the artist’s troubled reality with the joy and beauty he infused into his recreations of the world around him - and sometimes, of himself. The works in this exhibition do more than display still-lifes; they serve as windows into another universe inhabited by Van Gogh. In this universe, each colour in the sky is broken into distinct shades, only to be unified by his signature swirling lines.
This exhibition marks the centenary of the National Gallery's acquisition of two of his iconic oil paintings, Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh’s Chair (1888). Both of these works are included in the exhibition and are displayed in rooms titled Decoration and The Yellow House: An Artist’s Home, respectively. These two rooms, among the six that the exhibition spans, each focus on a specific period in Van Gogh’s life. In early May 1888, Van Gogh rented a studio in Arles, which by September had also become his home. He envisioned this space, known as the Yellow House, as a communal studio where fellow artists from Paris, including Paul Gauguin, could join him to work in the South of France. The works in the Decoration room were intended to adorn the walls of this studio house, a concept that reflects Van Gogh’s desire to create a collaborative and vibrant artist’s space.
One of the standout paintings in this room, The Yellow House (The Street) (1888), depicts the two-storey home with forest-green shutters, located near a bridge with a steam train passing by. The painting emphasizes two main colours: the yellow of the houses, pavement, and street, and the deep blue of the sky. Though not rich in intricate detail, Van Gogh places the house prominently in the centre of the townscape, expressing his pride in this new home. The painting captures a panoramic view of his environment, highlighting its significance in his life. His vision for decorating the house also extended to plans for exhibiting his work in Paris, as he considered how his art could be displayed publicly in a similar arrangement.
By the time we reach the fifth room, Van Gogh had experienced his first mental breakdown at the end of 1888 and subsequently lost possession of his beloved Yellow House. Despite this setback, he continued creating paintings and groupings intended for his imagined decoration projects. This fifth room brings together one of his most famous groupings, which he devised in 1889 while in Saint-Rémy.
What stands out in this collection is Van Gogh's persistent drive to not only capture what he saw, but also to transform it, reflecting the creative inspiration and vivid imagination the cities and countryside evoked in him. In his sunflower paintings, for example, Van Gogh meticulously paints each petal, its shadow, and the movement of colour along the stems. The dark, weathered centres of the sunflowers, layered with thick coats of paint, seem to rise from the canvas, as though the flowers were not confined to the surface but were expanding into the viewer's space.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh admitted himself into the Saint-Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital after suffering from a severe mental health crisis, which led him to cut off a part of his ear. Upon arriving in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, one of the first works painted by him was the view of the hospital garden. In this painting, titled The Garden of the Asylum of Saint-Rémy (1889), placed in the second room of the exhibition, Van Gogh captured the garden as it was in his imagination: a romantic spot for lovers to meet. The contrast between his mental condition and his work is evident in the way he portrayed the scene, using vibrant shades of green, red, pink, white, blue, and yellow to bring to life the overgrown shrubbery, thick trees with branches engulfing the garden roof, and French architecture. Though confined to a small area, including the garden, in his first week at the hospital, Van Gogh used oil paints and a free hand to paint a lush landscape that reflects his poetic imagination and sense of complete artistic freedom.
This breathtaking exhibition does not dwell on the end of Van Gogh’s life but instead celebrates his living, breathing imagination, expressed through oil on canvas. Rather than being packed with intricate details, these works leave room for the viewer’s own thoughts and interpretations to enter the scene. With Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, the National Gallery offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors in London to witness the spectacle of Vincent Van Gogh’s world.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is showing at The National Gallery until 19th January 2025.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers at the National Gallery contains sixty-one of the Dutch artist’s most celebrated works from 1888 to 1890, ranging from Starry Night over the Rhône (1888) to his Self Portrait (1889). Born in March 1853, the artist created a substantial body of work throughout his short life, now housed in collections across the world. When looking at the detail, colour, and vibrancy in each of these paintings, it is hard to reconcile the artist’s troubled reality with the joy and beauty he infused into his recreations of the world around him - and sometimes, of himself. The works in this exhibition do more than display still-lifes; they serve as windows into another universe inhabited by Van Gogh. In this universe, each colour in the sky is broken into distinct shades, only to be unified by his signature swirling lines.
This exhibition marks the centenary of the National Gallery's acquisition of two of his iconic oil paintings, Sunflowers (1888) and Van Gogh’s Chair (1888). Both of these works are included in the exhibition and are displayed in rooms titled Decoration and The Yellow House: An Artist’s Home, respectively. These two rooms, among the six that the exhibition spans, each focus on a specific period in Van Gogh’s life. In early May 1888, Van Gogh rented a studio in Arles, which by September had also become his home. He envisioned this space, known as the Yellow House, as a communal studio where fellow artists from Paris, including Paul Gauguin, could join him to work in the South of France. The works in the Decoration room were intended to adorn the walls of this studio house, a concept that reflects Van Gogh’s desire to create a collaborative and vibrant artist’s space.
One of the standout paintings in this room, The Yellow House (The Street) (1888), depicts the two-storey home with forest-green shutters, located near a bridge with a steam train passing by. The painting emphasizes two main colours: the yellow of the houses, pavement, and street, and the deep blue of the sky. Though not rich in intricate detail, Van Gogh places the house prominently in the centre of the townscape, expressing his pride in this new home. The painting captures a panoramic view of his environment, highlighting its significance in his life. His vision for decorating the house also extended to plans for exhibiting his work in Paris, as he considered how his art could be displayed publicly in a similar arrangement.
By the time we reach the fifth room, Van Gogh had experienced his first mental breakdown at the end of 1888 and subsequently lost possession of his beloved Yellow House. Despite this setback, he continued creating paintings and groupings intended for his imagined decoration projects. This fifth room brings together one of his most famous groupings, which he devised in 1889 while in Saint-Rémy.
What stands out in this collection is Van Gogh's persistent drive to not only capture what he saw, but also to transform it, reflecting the creative inspiration and vivid imagination the cities and countryside evoked in him. In his sunflower paintings, for example, Van Gogh meticulously paints each petal, its shadow, and the movement of colour along the stems. The dark, weathered centres of the sunflowers, layered with thick coats of paint, seem to rise from the canvas, as though the flowers were not confined to the surface but were expanding into the viewer's space.
In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh admitted himself into the Saint-Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital after suffering from a severe mental health crisis, which led him to cut off a part of his ear. Upon arriving in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, one of the first works painted by him was the view of the hospital garden. In this painting, titled The Garden of the Asylum of Saint-Rémy (1889), placed in the second room of the exhibition, Van Gogh captured the garden as it was in his imagination: a romantic spot for lovers to meet. The contrast between his mental condition and his work is evident in the way he portrayed the scene, using vibrant shades of green, red, pink, white, blue, and yellow to bring to life the overgrown shrubbery, thick trees with branches engulfing the garden roof, and French architecture. Though confined to a small area, including the garden, in his first week at the hospital, Van Gogh used oil paints and a free hand to paint a lush landscape that reflects his poetic imagination and sense of complete artistic freedom.
This breathtaking exhibition does not dwell on the end of Van Gogh’s life but instead celebrates his living, breathing imagination, expressed through oil on canvas. Rather than being packed with intricate details, these works leave room for the viewer’s own thoughts and interpretations to enter the scene. With Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, the National Gallery offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors in London to witness the spectacle of Vincent Van Gogh’s world.
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is showing at The National Gallery until 19th January 2025.
