PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

For many years I have admired the art of Vincent Van Gogh. I realize that he was not the most stable person in history but I always found his story to be interesting. I have also enjoyed his style of painting. He did not achieve much success during life but his works have endured the test of time. There is much more to this artist than a disfigured ear. 

The best place to check out his work is the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. I have found time to check out the museum on three different occasions. I was in Amsterdam recently and decided that I had to go check it out once again. It is a great museum and repeated visits will only heighten one's appreciation. 

 The origins of the museum go back to Van Gogh himself. Most of his paintings were owned by his brother Theo. They were then passed along to Theo's widow and then her son. The paintings remained with the family until 1962 when a Vincent Van Gogh Foundation purchased the works. The Van Gogh Museum was opened in 1973. The museum holds more than 200 paintings by Van Gogh. It also includes a range of paintings by Van Gogh's contemporaries. There are fine works by Gaughin, Seurat, Monet and Manet in the museum. They include works by painters that influenced Van Gogh as well as painters that were influenced by Van Gogh. 

 The museum has three floors and is easy to cover in a single day. They have both the permanent collection and also temporary exhibits. They also have a study area which includes both books and computers. One can go online and access information about Van Gogh and about the paintings included in the collection. This is a nice addition although I tend to prefer checking out the paintings. 

The paintings are presented in chronological order. They cover the different phases of his artistic development. The museum breaks it into The Netherlands (1880-1885), Paris (1886-1888), Arles (1888-1889), Saint-Remy (1889-1890) and Auvers-sur-Oise (1890). This helps the viewer see the development in his works. 

There are many famous works here. As you go climb the stairs to each floor, you will be confronted with quotes culled from Van Gogh's letters to his brother Theo. Here he mused on his purpose in life and on the meaning of existence in general. Of course, there are quite a few self-portraits. Van Gogh seemed quite enamored of his own face. You get Self Portrait With Straw Hat, Self Portrait as an Artist, Self Portrait With Felt Hat among numerous others. I guess he had a fondness for mirrors. The paintings are pretty good though. And given his nature, the paintings are probably more intriguing than his actual appearance. 

There are many famed works such as Sunflower, Irises, The Bedroom, Gaughin's Chair and The Raising of Lazarus. Van Gogh was very adept at still life paintings. That is showcased clearly in this museum. I often found myself preferring some of the lesser known paintings. Crab On Its Back is amusing to me but then I've always had a sick sense of humor. Butterflies and Poppies and Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds are both visually stunning works. 

Glass of absinthe and a Carafe is another painting that I liked. Absinthe may be responsible for the missing ear situation so this painting holds allure. It's also interesting because absinthe itself seems to be experiencing a bit of a comeback in Europe. Madness among artists shall reign supreme again. 

I was amused by Skull of a Skeleton With Burning Cigarette. I am surprised this painting hasn't been appropriated by anti smoking forces. There were a couple skull paintings that attracted my eye. It's also surprising the Grateful Dead didn't borrow a couple of these works. Surely a skull with burning cigarette is comparable to a skull and roses. 

At the end of the exhibit of Van Gogh paintings one is confronted with a single question: “What do you think the artist wished to express?”  Well, it would probably require a greater mind than mine to get inside Vinnie's motives. I think he was very passionate about his art and wished to use it as a vehicle to inspire others. He did have some religious fervor and I believe he felt his art could make the world a better place. I feel inspired after going to this museum so perhaps he succeeded in that goal. 

The museum also includes works from other artists such as Paul Gaughin, Claude Monet, Eduard Manet, Georges Seurat and Henri de Toulouse-Latrec. I enjoyed Gaughin's Among the Mangoes and Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers. They also include artists such as Emile Bernard and Odilon Redon who are lesser known but still produced some compelling work. 

 For art lovers, the Van Gogh Museum is an essential stop on a trip to Amsterdam. It contains some magnificent art and is very aesthetically pleasing. One can walk through in an hour or one can linger longer to really get into the art. I make it a point to check it out when I go to Amsterdam. You can learn a lot about this often misunderstood artist who produced some stunning works of art.