Vincent Van Gogh 1869-1890

Starry Night Saint-Rémy: June, 1889. Oil on canvas

Vincent van Gogh was born near Brabant, Holland, the son of a minister. In 1869, he worked at the art dealers in The Hague. He worked as a schoolmaster in England (1876), before training for the ministry at Amsterdam University (1877). After he failed to get a post in the Church, he went to live as an independent missionary among the miners. "He was largely self-taught as an artist, although he received help from his cousin, Mauve. His first works were heavily painted, mud-coloured and clumsy attempts to represent the life of the poor (e.g. Potato-Eaters). He moved to Paris in 1886, living with his devoted brother, Theo, who as a dealer introduced him to artists like Gauguin, Pissarro, Seurat and Toulouse-Lautrec. In Paris, he discovered colour as well as the distinctive dashed brushstrokes of his later work He moved to Arles, in the south of France, in 1888, hoping to establish an artists' colony there, and was immediately struck by the hot reds and yellows of the Mediterranean, which he increasingly used symbolically to represent his own moods (e.g. Sunflowers,). He was joined briefly by Gauguin in October 1888 but the visit was not a success. A final argument led to the infamous episode in which Van Gogh mutilated his ear. "In 1889, he became a voluntary patient at the St. Remy asylum, where he continued to paint, often making copies of artists he admired. His palette softened to mauves and pinks, but his brushwork was increasingly agitated, the dashes constructed into swirling, twisted shapes, often seen as symbolic of his mental state (e.g. Ravine). He moved to Auvers, to be closer to Theo in 1890 - his last 70 days spent in a hectic program of painting. He died, having sold only one work, following a botched suicide attempt. His life is detailed in a famous series of letters to his brother.

Describe what can be seen in the picture (what is it of?)

What is its title? Who was the artist? When was the picture made? Did the artist belong to any particular artists’ group? Was there any important event in the artist’s life or in history around the time the artist lived that may have influenced the way the artist thought and worked?

What medium has been used? (Oil paint, watercolour, pencil, charcoal?) What techniques have been used? (Thick paint, heavy brushstrokes, brushstrokes going in certain directions, light paint strokes, soft washes of colour, dark tones, light tones, bright colours, dark colours?)

How is the picture composed? How are the main shapes arranged? Describe the work using specialist vocabulary. Do the colours harmonise or contrast? Does one colour predominate and then do some balance each other? Is there one main shape or are there many similar shapes linking throughout the picture? How has the artist used line, colour and texture? Are any shapes repeated? Are there curves, spirals, sharp shapes, and angular forms? Why might the artist do this? Are any areas distorted deliberately? If so, why do you think the artist did this?

What is the mood of the picture? What feelings and emotions are suggested in the work? Does it capture an emotion or mood that you have experienced? Does the work seem quiet/disturbing/relaxing/sad/angry in its mood.

CONNECTIONS (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE)

What connections are there between this work and your own? How will this work help you? What can you learn from the composition and the techniques the artist has used?