Interpretation of Van Gogh 09

(* Note: The purpose of this article is to interpret the letters written by Van Gogh to his younger brother Theo for the second time, so as to interpret the enthusiasm and pleasure in his works more objectively and fairly and correct his long-standing "crazy" image in the eyes of the public. )

1884 At the beginning of this year, Van Gogh's mother suffered a broken leg. During the recovery period, Van Gogh's care eased his relationship with his parents to some extent. Van Gogh transformed an abandoned laundry room into a studio, and then he began to focus on local textile workers. The wild style of remote Ninen brought him new artistic inspiration. He painted many landscapes and oil paintings depicting rural life.

Theogo seems to be the first person to mention Impressionism to him. At that time, Impressionism was famous in Paris for its bright colors and revolutionary technology.

1885 In the spring, Van Gogh's father died suddenly. Soon after, Van Gogh finished his first masterpiece, The Potato Eater. This painting represents the essence of his painstaking creation in recent years and the achievement of his painting skills.

Later that year, one of his unmarried female models became pregnant, which made Van Gogh suspicious. Although he seems to have nothing to do with it, the local people's views on Van Gogh have changed. So he moved to Antwerp.

In Antwerp, he studied master paintings at the new National Museum.

1886 was admitted to Antwerp College, but his rude way and self-study personality were incompatible with the harsh traditional environment at that time and he soon dropped out of school.

1In March of 886, Van Gogh came to Paris unexpectedly.

Although from then on to 1888, Van Gogh and his younger brother Theo began to live together, and the number of letters was greatly reduced. However, through other people's stories and changes in his artistic style, we can still know that he met the key figures of Impressionism, including Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, Emile Bernard and georges seurat, especially the stippling method used by the latter, which influenced Van Gogh and made his painting skills mature.

1885 In the spring, Van Gogh's father died. After that, Van Gogh was immersed in painting farmers sitting around eating together. After that, Van Gogh finished his first masterpiece, The Potato Eater. We can clearly perceive Van Gogh's mental journey when he wrote The Potato Eater from the following letters.

Judging from Van Gogh's manuscript No.404 [1April 30, 885], his unique brushwork should be influenced by the weaving techniques of Cheviot and Scottish tartan-trying to weave pictures with brushwork. (The following is an excerpt from this part, detailing how inspiration inspired Van Gogh. )

"What happened recently (my father's death) still bothers me. I spent two weeks drawing. Here are two drafts, a head and a satin still life, the same style as the one you took away before. The prospect of still life is dad's pipe and pipe. You can stay if you want to keep it. "

"There are two sketches of recent works attached to the letter, and I am drawing farmers around a plate of potatoes. I just got back from their house. Although I started painting during the day, I still have to work by the light. You can already see my composition. I painted on a large canvas, which is consistent with this sketch. This painting made me feel the vitality contained in it. "

"It is said that there is a school of painting called Impressionism, but I know very little about it. However, I know that birds of a feather flock together. There seems to be an axis where painters who describe rural life and scenery gather together, and the core figures are Delacroix, Miller, Connor and so on. This is just my own feeling, not necessarily accurate. "

"I hope people who eat potatoes can get it smoothly. Besides, I'm still drawing a red sunset. Only by being a master who can grasp complex details can we paint rural life well. On the other hand, I don't know where I can work so quietly and peacefully. Peace here refers to mentality. After all, even painting materials are a huge challenge now. "

"I want you to know that I am working on drawing people who eat potatoes, and I have also drawn some head exercises. My hands have changed a lot. Most importantly, I am trying my best to inject life into these paintings. Before I send this painting, I must make sure that it is meaningful. Now this painting is still being created, and I think there are some things that you have never seen, which are true compared with my previous works. I put special emphasis on life, and I draw realistic pictures made by memory. But you know how many heads I drew! I go there every night and describe different parts over and over again. But in this painting, I let my mind think and imagine. Unlike my usual exercises, these exercises are not a creative process in themselves, but it is they that give me nutrients and let me breed imagination from reality. It turns out that this is right. "

"When weaving-I think this kind of cloth is called Cheviot, or Scottish tartan with obvious characteristics-you know, it is customary to arrange the brightest colors closely one by one to achieve a color balance, and finally get the special color separation and gray scale of Cheviot and Scottish tartan, so although the cloth preparation is uneven, the final effect is very harmonious from a distance.

The gray of wool is a mixture of red, blue, yellow, grayish white and black silk threads, while blue is a mixture of discontinuous green and orange or yellow silk threads. The effect is not comparable to that of monochromatic lines. Blue is very bright, and compared with ordinary colors, it looks dull and boring. However, it is not easy for weavers or designers of patterns and tones to calculate the number and direction of lines. Similarly, it is not easy to weave the harmonious effect of each stroke. If you can compare my homework when I first arrived in Nineveh with this painting now, I think you will find that the color of the painting is becoming more and more vivid. "

"I deliberately tried to create the appearance of those who eat potatoes. They sat under a small lamp, put their hands into their plates and took out the potatoes they had dug out of the ground. They make a living by their own hands. What an honor. I think, let people put themselves in others' shoes and look at their lifestyle. But I don't want people to think that the picture is beautiful or good without thinking. I spent the whole winter holding those woven threads, groping for the best patterns, imagining carefully selected threads and weaving them into rough cloth according to certain rules. This may be painted as a real country painting. I really think so. But if anyone is more willing to see some disadvantaged farmers, so be it. From my point of view, I think in the long run, depicting their roughness is more valuable than those traditional boutiques. "

"I don't think it's right to paint farmers smooth and flawless according to the portrait convention. If the paintings depicting farmers can make people smell bacon, smoke and steamed potatoes, it will be wonderful and will not be criticized. A stable that smells like feces is a real stable. If the fields are filled with the smell of ripe wheat or potatoes, or the smell of bird droppings and chemical fertilizers, it can only show that this is true, especially for city people, and such paintings will benefit them a lot. Paintings depicting farmers should not have an elegant fragrance. "