He was a painter. I like his art. I like painting, too. Nothing special here. Just thinking.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vincent-van-Gogh

Let’s talk art. Let’s talk about the art and life of the world famous painter Vincent Van Gogh.

His life as an artist is interesting. When you look at his paintings, and think about his life, what do you feel?

The images he made, we can enjoy today in many forms-paintings, prints, posters, t-shirts, and more – still inspire us, and bring us closer to the world of the Dutch artist who never achieved any recognition or fame in his lifetime. His tale is well known and has become representative of the prototypical image of the ‘struggling’ artist, who lives outside of normal society, and whose life remains misunderstood and lonely.

As the years go by the myth of Van Gogh’s life continues to grow – he was pure and honest and devoted to his art, and his point of view was always truthful. Was he crazy? Did he have an illness? Was he challenged in other ways? We don’t know for sure.

I came across his diary, mostly in letters, in a small town library in California, years ago, I read them all over the course of a few weeks. In these very personal letters, Vincent exchanged his feelings about life, God, and art with his brother Theo – in two thick and dusty volumes, I found Vincent to be somewhat strong-willed, self-assured and determined-he was sure that his way of painting would prevail. He was very confident about himself.

His goal was not to be shown in the Salons of Paris, he was different than the likes of Paul Gaugin or Claude Monet or Eduoard Manet. His main concern was to be sure he used the best pigments he could find, so he could express the true colors he needed for his paintings. He spent long hours on chalk drawings of his subjects (mostly farmers, field workers, laborers and nature), before he would begin painting them.

Because Vincent didn’t have money, his brother, Theo, a small time art dealer, would be the one to get him his supplies. This was an important relationship for Vincent, and he depended on his brother for his contact to the ‘outside world.’

His lonely human figure has become larger than life, and makes you wonder- what would he have thought about his life’s story if he knew that his name would be known all over the world in this way; and his paintings being worth so much money; and exhibited in far away places he could never have dreamed of traveling to-

more than 150 years after his death?

It’s really amazing how in a life, and in death, a person’s value is somewhat strangely bizarre, backwards, unbalanced, and unfair. Why did he have so much to offer the world, but the world didn’t return the favor?

Vincent Van Gogh would think it was an unfair life, if we could ask him.

Would Vincent Van Gogh have been happier if he suffered less while living, but still had all the attention and fame that his soul has now in death – only to be forgotten and have none when he was set in the ground?

It’s a ponderable question, and good for a healthy debate in an art history class?

It would certainly have changed his name in art history, eh?

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I love you too.

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