Vincent van Gogh is one of the greatest and most prolific painters of the nineteenth century, but his career only lasted ten years. From Friday, an exhibition about his last months can be seen in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. In that period, which ended with suicide, Van Gogh painted some of his masterpieces.
“It is true that I have lost the trust of several people. It is true that my finances are in a sad state. It is true that the future looks pretty bleak. It is true that I could have done better,” wrote Van Gogh in a letter to his brother Theo.
Van Gogh’s struggles with his mental health came up regularly in his letters. Although brilliant, the painter spent much of his life haunted by his own insecurities and fears. The sense of failure and the fear that his financial problems would never end grew worse and worse. The fact that the artist was often short of cash had to do with the high prices of painting materials at that time.
Van Gogh spent his last months in Auvers-sur-Oise
Some of the letters were written by Van Gogh from the French town of Auvers-sur-Oise. Van Gogh decided to live in the French village so that he could be closer to his brother Theo, who lived in Paris. Another reason was the presence of doctor Paul Ferdinand Gachet, a doctor who could help Van Gogh with his mental suffering.
Van Gogh ultimately lived from May 20, 1890 until his death on July 29 in Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris. He lived in the village for only seventy days, but it was a very productive time for him. In that period he made a few of his masterpieces, such as Cornfield with crows in Docter Paul Gachet.
Van Gogh was clearly inspired by the French village and its surroundings. He therefore liked to capture it in works such as Auvers church, Thatched houses in Cordeville in View of Auvers-sur-Oise. The last painting he made was of the roots of a tree. Experts suspect that the painter shortly after finishing the painting Tree roots ended his life.
Over Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh werd in 1853 geboren in Zundert en maakte deel uit van een protestants gezin. Hij groeide op met drie zussen en twee broers. Op jonge leeftijd tekende hij af en toe, maar van enige artistieke aanleg was nog niets te merken.
Uit de brieven die hij schrijft, onder andere aan zijn broer Theo, blijkt dat hij met regelmaat een depressieve periode doormaakte. Ook leek hij zich nergens echt thuis te voelen. Van Gogh woonde in zijn relatief korte leven in 21 verschillende plaatsen in Nederland, België, Frankrijk en Groot-Brittannië.
Op 27-jarige leeftijd begon Van Gogh pas met schilderen. Hij creëerde in slechts tien jaar een indrukwekkend oeuvre, dat bestaat uit ongeveer negenhonderd schilderijen en elfhonderd tekeningen op papier. Tot zijn bekendste werken behoren De Aardappeleters, Het gele huis, Zonnebloemen, De slaapkamer en Sterrennacht. Op 37-jarige leeftijd maakte de kunstschilder een einde aan zijn leven.
Much discussion about Van Gogh’s illness
It is a known fact that Van Gogh was ill. But what exactly he suffered from has long been a subject of debate. The fact that the painter cut off his ear in 1888 is, according to various medical specialists, the result of a psychosis. Opinions are divided about his other ailments. For example, he might suffer from an alcohol addiction or schizophrenia. Epilepsy and poisoning (due to the gas lighting in his house) are also mentioned more often.
In 2020, under the leadership of emeritus professor of psychiatry Willem Nolen of the UMC Groningen, an investigation done to gain insight into Van Gogh’s psychiatric illness. The researchers did this by studying the available medical information and the many letters the painter wrote (he wrote at least 820 letters to his brother Theo).
One of the conclusions from the study is that Van Gogh likely suffered from the altered consciousness or confusion that alcoholics experience after they stop drinking alcohol. It is known that the painter drank alcohol in abundance, because he himself wrote about it. In addition, there may have been a personality disorder, which was exacerbated by the alcohol addiction in combination with malnutrition. But we’ll never know for sure.
Van Gogh’s work only became widely known after 1900, thanks to his sister-in-law
Until about 1900, Van Gogh’s work was only known in a small circle. That changed after the death of his brother Theo in 1891. Theo left his wife Jo van Gogh-Bonger with a house full of his brother’s works of art. She decided to organize exhibitions and devoted herself to raising awareness of Van Gogh’s work.
In 1905 she organized an exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, where no fewer than 480 works by her brother-in-law were on display. After this, the fame and the prices of the works of art increased enormously.
In the exhibition Van Gogh at Auvers-sur-Oise. His last a total of fifty paintings and more than thirty drawings are on display, which are borrowed from museums and private individuals, among others. For example, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris is lending eight paintings to the Van Gogh Museum. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see a number of works by the well-known painter that have never been shown together before.
The exhibition Van Gogh at Auvers-sur-Oise. His last months can be seen from 12 May to 3 September 2023.
Are you thinking of suicide? You are not alone. Contact 113 Suicide Prevention at www.113.nl or call 113 (local rate) or 0800-0113 (free).
2023-05-12 03:13:04
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