Vincent
van Gogh, the post-impressionist artist, is undoubtedly a household name. His
paintings are displayed in galleries all over the world. But on the street little is known about one
of the most influential figures in modern art, apart from the fact that he
inspired Don McLean to write a song about him that got to number one in the
charts in 1972.
Although some may recall the films and
drama-documentaries that inevitably focus on his struggle against poverty and
mental illness that led him to cut his ear off and eventual suicide at the age
of 37 in 1890, few realise that the Dutch artist spent three years living in
London in the 1870s. Now the Tate Gallery in London seeks to redress the
balance with an exhibition that opened in March and will run until 11th
August this year.
This major exhibition brings together over
50 sketches and paintinga by Vincent van Gogh in an art show that the Tate claims will reveal
how he was inspired by Britain and how he inspired British artists.
Van Gogh was clearly impressed by Gustave
Doré’s harrowing scenes of London's hovels and he was an avid reader of Charles
Dickens. But whether he really was inspired by his sojourn in London and
whether those 19th century British Victorian artists on display
really had much influence on Van Gogh’s work is clearly debatable.
We do get to see a handful of Van Gogh’s
priceless works – including Sunflowers,
Shoes and L'Arlésienne along
with Starry Night over the Rhone, which some
visitors mistakenly think is The Starry
Night of the McLean song that
now stands in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Although
Van Gogh won the respect and admiration of other avant-garde artists, he never
made a penny out of his paintings. Now they can command millions on the open
market. This exhibition doesn’t come cheap either. It’s £20–£22 per ticket and
a fiver for children!
No comments:
Post a Comment