Vincent van Gogh was one of the influential artists of the Post-Impressionist art period of the 19th century. The artist captured the essence of creativity, symbolism, and texture amidst his brightly colored oil paintings. Van Gogh’s artwork defined a distinctive shift in the art culture, stepping further away from tradition and further into modernism.
I chose to discuss Van Gogh for his beautiful work and connection to how painting helped his mental health. Van Gogh struggled with a mental illness that eventually took control of his life; nevertheless, he used art as a creative outlet. Vincent van Gogh was passionate about his work and how he portrayed portraits, landscape scenes, and his unique style. “He believed that he could make his paintings endure only by abandoning “photographic resemblance” and striving for “passionate expression.”. (Annemarie, I. 2020. Van Gogh, V. 1890.). This determination formulated his oil paintings as a gateway toward modern art that opened doors for bolder styles of the 20th century.
Today, creatives alike can view Van Gogh’s artworks which show a different perspective of God’s creation, highlighting the unique perspectives Van Gogh witnessed himself due to his surroundings and mental health.
Vincent van Gogh has always and will always be my favorite artist; His work has shaped my love for art history and the color themes of my painting style. I find inspiration, tragedy, and hope through Van Gogh’s story, and I hope you do as well. His story impacted many artists who came out of the Post-Impressionist period, which paved the way for new bold artwork to emerge.
For more articles on Vincent van Gogh please visit: :
Museum of Modern Art Vincent van Gogh: https://www.moma.org/artists/2206#fnref:2 & Van Gogh Museum https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en
Hannah J. Pasquini © 2022
References:
Annemarie Iker, Mellon-Marron Research Consortium Fellow, 2020, from Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) https://www.moma.org/artists/2206#fnref:2
Vincent van Gogh to Willemien van Gogh, Auvers-sur-Oise, 5 June 1890, from Vincent van Gogh, the Letters (Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum and Huygens Institute, 2011), http://vangoghletters.org/vg/letters/let879/letter.html
