When Vincent van Gogh stayed in hospital in Arles after his ear accident he simply wasn’t able to paint. He was discharged from hospital after two weeks but Van Gogh had to go back a few times as he suffered from attacks. While Van Gogh was in hospital in Arles again and also later in the Saint-Paul hospital in Saint-Rémy (the asylum) he was very productive. Vincent believed painting was good for his health. Today 133 years ago, between 28 April and 2 May 1889, Vincent van Gogh wrote to his sister Willemien from Arles: "And I still feel incapable of taking a studio again. I’m working though, and have just done two paintings of the hospital. One is a ward, a very long ward with the rows of beds with white curtains where a few figures of patients are...
Vincent van Gogh was very self-critical in general. Being a perfectionist wasn’t easy, but it pushed him to develop his paining style drastically within his 10 year painting career that started in 1880. Van Gogh seemed to be very confident in his drawing skills when he lived in The Hague in 1882 though. Today 140 years ago, on or about 23 April 1882, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from The Hague: "It’s precisely because I have a draughtsman’s fist that I can’t keep myself from drawing and, I ask you, have I ever doubted or hesitated or wavered since the day I began to draw? I think you know very well that I’ve hacked my way through and am obviously ever more keen to do battle.” Torn-up Noordstraat with diggers The Hague, 1882...
Vincent van Gogh not only painted peasants as an homage to hard working laborers. He also enjoyed the subject as it gave him "peace, in the sense of peace of mind, even when one has a great struggle in material things.” Vincent seemed to love the creative part of the painting process as much as the actual application of paint onto the canvas of peasant paintngs. Did it make him feel one with nature and connect with the people around him? Today 137 years ago, on 21 April 1885, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from Nuenen: "I hope that the painting of those potato eaters will progress a bit. Besides that, am also working on a red sunset. To paint peasant life one has to be master of such an enormous number of things.” This could be:...
Vincent van Gogh liked to paint with colors like yellow ocher, chrome yellow, cadmium yellow, chrome orange, vermilion, Prussian blue, ultramarine, lead white, zinc white, emerald green, red lake, red ocher, raw sienna. Check out some extra colors he ordered during spring. They were urgent as the appearance of flowering trees wouldn't last long. 133 years ago, between about 14 and 17 April 1889, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from Arles: "In the meantime I’ve been obliged to ask Tasset for 10 metres of canvas and a few tubes. Also I still need 12 zinc white large tubes 1 Emerald large tubes 2 Cobalt large tubes 2 Ultramarine large tubes 1 Vermilion large tubes 4 Veronese Green large tubes 3...
Yes, in Arles Vincent van Gogh painted a beautiful pear tree in blossom. This portrait sized painting was surrounded by two landscape sized paintings of Orchards with apricot trees in blossom. Today 134 years ago, on 13 April 1888, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo van Gogh from Arles: "I now also have a small pear tree, vertical, also flanked by two other horizontal canvases. That will make 6 canvases of orchards in blossom.” Small pear tree in blossom Arles, 1888 Oil on canvas 73 x 46 cm Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam You may also like to read: To whom did Van Gogh give his Pink Peach Tree? Your Daily Dose of Van Gogh What did Vincent van Gogh write on...
To Vincent van Gogh flowering trees represented awakening and hope. In Arles Vincent painted no less than 14 paintings of orchards in blossom. He arrived in Arles on 20 February 1888 when it snowed and not much later he witnessed rebirth of nature in spring. Van Gogh himself was very optimistic and full of energy and hope at that time to develop his painting style, inspired by his new surroundings. Today 134 years ago, on 11 April 1888, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from Arles: "Today has been a good day too. This morning I worked on an orchard of plum trees in blossom — suddenly a tremendous wind began to blow, an effect I’d only ever seen here — and came back again at intervals. In the intervals, sunshine that made all the little white flowers sparkle. It was...
Rainy days didn’t stop Vincent van Gogh from painting. Although he came to the South of France to find warm light and bright colors, typical greys and lilacs on bad days inspired him as well. According to Météo-France it rained in Arles in 1889 from 5 to 9 April. Today 133 years ago, on 10 April 1889, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Paul Signac from Arles: "The other landscape is almost all green with a little lilac and grey – on a rainy day. Very pleased to hear you say that you’ve settled down, and will very much wish to have more news of you. How is work going, what is the character of those parts?” Orchards in Blossom, View of Arles Arles, 1889 Oil on canvas 53,5 x 65,5 cm Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam...
Vincent van Gogh made 4 oil paintings, 1 watercolor and 4 drawings of the Langlois Bridge near Arles. The double-beam drawbridge was made by a Dutch engineer and made Van Gogh think of his homeland. The official name was Pont de Réginelle, but everybody called the bridge after the bridgekeeper: Pont de Langlois. Today 134 years ago, on 9 April 1888, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from Arles: "My dear Theo, Thanks for your letter and for the 100-franc note it contained. I’ve sent you croquis of the paintings intended for Holland. Goes without saying that the painted studies are more brilliant in colour. Am hard at work again, still orchards in blossom.” The Langlois bridge with washerwomen Arles, 1888 Watercolour 30 x 30 cm...
When Vincent van Gogh lived in the South of France he had his canvas sent in by train from Paris. He just couldn’t get the right quality in Arles or Saint-Rémy much to his frustration. Today 134 years ago, on 5 April 1888, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from Arles: "And — as soon as possible — the final price, to me, of absorbent canvas, 10 metres, please. The colourman here made absorbent canvas for me, but he’s so lazy about doing it that I’ve decided to have everything sent from Paris or Marseille, and give up — having lost all patience — the idea of getting him to do it. (While waiting for a no. 30 absorbent canvas I painted two on non-absorbent canvas.)” Van Gogh painted Paul Gauguin (Man in a Red Beret) on burlap...
In quite a few letters Vincent van Gogh mentioned his sadness. His famous quote “The sadness will last forever.” was written in a letter from Theo van Gogh to their sister Elizabeth though. They may have been Vincent’s last words before he died. Today 133 years ago, on 4 April 1889, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from Arles: "I’m well these days, apart from a certain vague background sadness that’s hard to define — but anyway — I’ve gained physical powers rather than lose them, and I’m working. Just now I have on the easel an orchard of peach trees beside a road with the Alpilles in the background.” La Crau with peach trees in blossom Arles, 1889 Oil on canvas 65,5 x 81,5 cm...
Vincent van Gogh was part of a rising group of young painters in Paris. The painters of the Petit Boulevard separated themselves from successful impressionists like Monet, Degas, and Renoir. Other painters of the Petit Boulevard were Pissarro, Seurat, Signac, Gauguin, Laval, Bernard, Anquetin, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Today 134 years ago, on or about 3 April 1888, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from Arles: "I’m in the uncomfortable position of convincing Tersteeg I really am an Impressionist of the Petit Boulevard and that I expect to retain that position. Ah well, he’ll have one of my paintings in his own collection — I’ve been thinking about it these past few days and I’ve found a funny thing of a kind I’m not going to do every day. It’s the drawbridge...
Yes Vincent van Gogh especially enjoyed the book Miarka by the French poet, novelist and dramatist Jean Richepin. So much actually that he wrote Theo the opening and closing lines of the song that Miarka, the central character sings, in memory of Mauve. Today 134 years ago, on or about 1 April 1888, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from Arles: "It seemed to me that in memory of Mauve we needed something that was both tender and very cheerful and not a study in a more serious key than that. ‘Don’t believe that the dead are dead. While there are people still alive The dead will live, the dead will live’. That’s how I feel the thing, no sadder than that. In addition to that I now have another 4 or 5 studies of orchards and...
On his own 35th birthday, Vincent van Gogh wrote a letter to his sister and congratulated her with her birthday! And he gave her a beautiful painting he made of a sprig of almond blossom in a glass. Today 169 years ago, on 30 March 1853, Vincent van Gogh was born. "My dear sister, So as not to let your letter go unanswered I’m writing immediately upon receipt of your letter and Ma’s and the good wishes from you both… …For my part I must also wish you a happy birthday (Willemien turned 26 on 16 March 1888) — since I’d like to give you something of my work that you’ll like I’ll set aside a little study of a book and a flower for you — in a large format with a whole mass of books with pink, yellow, green covers and fiery red...
Theodorus van Gogh, Vincent’s father, died of a stroke in the evening of 26 March 1885. He had visited a town near Nuenen and walked back home in the cold and snow. He collapsed when he arrived home and died immediately after. Today 137 years ago, on 27 March 1885, Vincent van Gogh sent a telegram to his brother Theo from Eindhoven: "sudden death, come, van gogh." His sister Willemien wrote to her friend Line Kruysse a year later: "Pa went out in the morning healthy and in the evening he came home and as he came in the door he collapsed without giving any further sign of life. It was terrible. I shall never forget that night. It happened at half-past seven in the evening. Cor was in Helmond and didn’t get home until half-past one in the...
A herring was slang for a gendarme. Vincent van Gogh painted them with this in mind after he had been in trouble with the police. They locked up Vincent’s house when he was in hospital in Arles after the ear accident. And they didn’t feel like giving Theo and Signac entrance to Vincent’s house to check out paintings. Today 133 years ago, on 24 March 1889, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from Arles: "My dear Theo, I’m writing to tell you that I’ve seen Signac, which did me a lot of good.. As a keepsake I gave him a still life which had exasperated the good gendarmes of the town of Arles because it depicted two smoked herrings, which are called gendarmes, as you know.” Still life with red herrings Arles, 1889 Oil on canvas 33 x 41 cm Private collection You may also like to read:...
Although Vincent van Gogh realized his paintings were not worth anything when he painted them, he knew they were part of an oeuvre and expected them to be appreciated better in the future. Today 137 years ago on about 23 March 1885, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from Nuenen: "I work hard and — suppose that only 1 in 10 or 20 of the studies that I make have something that makes them worth the trouble of looking at them — those few, be it more, be it fewer in number — although they’re worth nothing now, may well be later. Not so much in themselves as in conjunction with other studies. Be this as it may — I want to try it again, and so as soon as they’re completely dry and I can varnish them, I’ll send you a few heads and also a little sketch of a...
Vincent van Gogh wrote about his mental problems several times. He didn’t know exactly what was going on. Neither did the doctors then and even now we can only speculate what was going by what he wrote and what his doctors said back then. Most likely it was a combination of things that caused his problems and behavior. Underlying vulnerabilities were probably (bipolar) mood disorder and borderline. Alchohol and unhealthy eating habits could have worsened this. Then stopping with drinking alcohol and epilepsy could have made his depressions worse. Around these episodes of attacks Van Gogh painted. A lot. Like a madman ;) He produced hundreds of paintings that much later turned out to be masterpieces. He wanted to paint and felt he needed it. It calmed him down and he believed it would improve...
Paul Gauguin liked Vincent van Gogh’s paintings a lot. Not just in Arles when they both lived in The Yellow House and often painted together. Also long after their clash Gauguin was charmed by Van Gogh’s work, for example when he saw some in Theo’s place and at the Independents’ exhibition in Paris. Gauguin even wanted to exchange a painting with Van Gogh. Today 132 years ago, on or about 20 March 1890, Paul Gauguin wrote to Vincent van Gogh from Paris: "I’ve talked about it with your brother, and there’s one that I would like to exchange with you for a thing of your choice. The one I’m talking about is a mountain landscape. Two tiny travellers seem to be climbing up there in search of the unknown. It contains an emotion à la Delacroix, with a...
Vincent van Gogh’s painting The Red Vineyard sold at the exhibition of the Salon of Les XX in Brussels to Anna Boch for 400 francs. This could have been the only painting sold by Van Gogh during his lifetime. Today 132 years ago, on 19 March 1890, Theo van Gogh wrote to Vincent from Paris: "I’ve received the money for your painting from Brussels, and Maus writes to me: ‘When you have an opportunity please tell your brother that I was very happy that he participated in the Salon of Les Vingt where, in the melée of discussions, he found lively artistic sympathies’. Do you want me to send you the money? I’m holding it for you for whenever you want it.” The Red Vineyard Arles, 1888 Oil on canvas 75 ×...
The fragment Walking couple / Two Lovers is all that has survived of a study van Gogh painted. A letter shows a sketch of the whole painting, including The Langlois bridge. Van Gogh later wrote that he had ruined the study. Today 134 years ago, on 18 March 1888, Vincent van Gogh wrote to Emile Bernard from Arles: "At the top of this letter I’m sending you a little croquis of a study that’s preoccupying me as to how to make something of it — sailors coming back with their sweethearts towards the town, which projects the strange silhouette of its drawbridge against a huge yellow sun.” Walking couple / Two lovers Arles, 1888 Oil on canvas 32,7 x 22,8 cm Private collection You may also like to read: Was Van Gogh jealous of Milliet? Your Daily Dose of Van Gogh What did...