Van Gogh Museum Review, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
 |
| Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam |
Located in Amsterdam, the
Netherlands, the Van Gogh Museum houses the largest collection of paintings and
drawings by Vincent Van Gogh in the entire world. The museum, which first
opened in 1973, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Amsterdam and
is the most visited museum in all of the Netherlands. Two buildings comprise
the museum: the Rietveld building and the Kurokawa wing (both are named after
the architects who designed them). The Rietveld building is the main building
that you should visit, as it exhibits the permanent collection, while the
Kurokawa wing is used for major temporary exhibitions. When you first enter the
Rietveld building, you will see a modern building, painted in almost all white
and separated by three distinct floors that you can reach by a main staircase.
The first floor houses Van Gogh's work in chronological order, the second floor
features exhibits on the restoration of his paintings, and the third floor
features work by Van Gogh's contemporaries that relate to the man himself.
 |
| Avenue of Poplars in Autumn, Vincent van Gogh |
Floor one is separated by the
different periods that defined Van Gogh's life and work: his early work to
1886, his time in Paris from 1886 to 1888, his time in Arles from 1888-89, his
time at Saint-Rémy in 1889-90, and his final days at Auver in 1890. Compared to
the vibrancy of much of his later work, Van Gogh's work before Paris is much
more muted in color and tone. The color palette of these paintings is dark and
filled with shades of gray and black, and many of the images are of people
painted in grotesque and unflattering fashion. Some of his paintings like Head
of a Woman and Head of a Man exemplify this style, as Van Gogh used
peasants as his models and sought to highlight their rough features. Three
paintings I recommend you check out from this era are Avenue of Poplars in
Autumn, The Potato Eaters, and Skull of a Skeleton With Burning
Cigarette. The first painting is notable for its symmetrical qualities and
distinct use of color, while the last painting is a humorous image of exactly
what the title describes. The Potato Eaters, one of Van Gogh's most
famous paintings, depicts a group of peasants eating the potatoes they tilled
from the ground themselves. You can see the coarseness and ugliness of the
models, which was a deliberate attempt by Van Gogh to show the reality of the
peasants who lived this lifestyle. His paintings from his time in Paris show
his shift in style as Van Gogh's work erred more to the impressionist style.
Here, the color of his paintings are brighter and his portraits are more
traditionally beautiful and impressionist in style. From this era, Wheatfield
With a Lark is a good representation of Van Gogh's transitioning style. As
he moved to Arles, France, Van Gogh would continue to produce some of his most
notable works.
 |
| Wheatfield with a Lark, Vincent van Gogh |
Bedroom in Arles, Gauguin's
Chair, and The Yellow House are three paintings from Van Gogh's time in
Arles that you should pay attention to. All three paintings are images from Van
Gogh's time at the Yellow House, where he stayed in Arles. The Bedroom
is an image of Van Gogh's own room that is remarkable for the use of color and
composition. The whole room appears slightly askew, and the contrast in color
between the bright yellow and blue creates an image that will hold your eyes. Gauguin's
Chair is an example of Van Gogh's still life work, and the way in which he
captures the light and shadows reflected by the candle is unique to Van Gogh's
artistry. The Yellow House is a simple couple of works that showcase Van
Gogh's eye for capturing the same image in multiple ways, as you can see both a
watercolor and a painting of the house. As you move on, you will see paintings
from the last periods of Van Gogh's life, when he committed himself to a
mental-health clinic in Saint-Rémy and later moved out to Auver to be near his
personal physician and his brother Theo. His paintings from this time period
are characterized as his most impressionistic, and he often painted images of
the views he had from where he was staying (The Garden of St. Paul's
Hospital and View of Auvers as examples). There are few images of
people, and many of his works from this time period are of landscapes and
nature. Some of my favorites include the Almond Blossoms series, Wheatfield
with a Reaper, and Wheatfield with Crows (I'm a fan of wheatfields
obviously). His Almond Blossoms paintings are beautiful depictions of
floral imagery and color, while the wheatfield paintings show a contrast in his
representation of the fields: one is bright and sunny while the other is dark
and gloomy. Wheatfield with Crows was painted in the final weeks of Van
Gogh's life, and some consider it to be his final work and a reflection of his
coming end. Although there is a nightmarish quality to the painting (Van Gogh
wanted to express sadness and extreme loneliness) it also retains a magical
quality that is evident in his other famous works such as Starry Night.
Overall, the first floor is laid out in the perfect way for you to explore the
gradual shifts in Van Gogh's style as his career progressed.
 |
| Bedroom in Arles, Vincent van Gogh |
The second and third floor are also
worth visiting as they relate to Van Gogh and also show his influence on art in
his lifetime. On the second floor you can see how restoration keeps a painting
vibrant and in excellent condition, and you can learn how the restoration
process attempts to keep the original impact of the painting largely intact.
The third floor contains many works by some of Van Gogh's contemporaries,
including Paul Gauguin, Manet, Monet, and Paul Signac. These range from impressionist
and post-impressionist art, to paintings depicting Van Gogh himself. For those
who love art and find themselves endlessly fascinated by Van Gogh's work, a
trip here is a must on your visit to Amsterdam.
-By Phillip Storm, Arts
Correspondent, VisitMuseums.com
No comments:
Post a Comment