[HN Gopher] Van Gogh's Self-Portraits
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Van Gogh's Self-Portraits
Author : brudgers
Score : 42 points
Date : 2023-09-18 04:13 UTC (18 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.vangoghmuseum.nl)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.vangoghmuseum.nl)
| smokel wrote:
| I used to "not get" why Van Gogh is considered to be so special.
| After reading his biography and his letters, I am now in the
| know.
|
| Van Gogh is an interesting case. He was very familiar with the
| art world, even before he started drawing and painting. He worked
| as an art dealer and traveled a lot when he was young.
|
| Where it gets interesting is when he sets out to become an artist
| himself. Over the course of only ten years he produced a
| staggering 900 paintings. (I typically spend a few months on only
| one drawing. And most of those don't even have color.)
|
| It's not that I now like his work, but I sure have learned to
| appreciate the man and his mission. Looking at the progression in
| his work and reading his letters gives a wonderful insight in the
| mind of a very sensitive person.
| bsder wrote:
| One thing that most people don't realize is that the "in
| person" experience of these paintings is dramatically different
| to seeing a picture in a book or on a screen.
|
| This got driven home when we visited the Musee d'Orsay in
| Paris.
|
| All the pictures are quite good. But if you put a bunch of
| different artists works together in a room, even as a rank
| amateur some of the paintings just _immediately_ jump out at
| you. It 's quite staggering just how much they jump out--and
| those are almost always done by one of the masters.
|
| Another thing that people don't realize is that paintings have
| a third dimension--and that a lot of the masters used it. Again
| --the in-person experience mattrers.
| throw7 wrote:
| I think this is true of most things "in person", what's
| surprising is what you point out: exactly what ones will jump
| out at you. I was totally unprepared when I turned the corner
| in St Peter's and be confronted with the Pieta right in front
| of me. No joke, I was literally in tears.
| drb999 wrote:
| The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam tells you everything you
| need to know about the person and his craft. It's carries his
| name because it's a whole museum building filled with his
| work. Literally 1000 drawings and paintings. And it's
| definitely a must see in person and no matter how many times
| I've been, every visit to Amsterdam is accompanied by a visit
| to the Van Gogh museum.
|
| True workaholic life's work.
| ramesh31 wrote:
| >Over the course of only ten years he produced a staggering 900
| paintings. (I typically spend a few months on only one drawing.
| And most of those don't even have color.)
|
| Prolificness is the underappreciated aspect of genius. Most
| talented artists can produce a few great works in their
| lifetime, with total dedication to the craft and endless toil.
| Geniuses are the ones who pump those out effortlessly, and once
| they get bored with that, the masterpieces start to come.
| ForRealsies wrote:
| [dead]
| Findecanor wrote:
| I agree. The man's work was impressive. What many see as his
| signature style was not a quirk or a limit to his talent, but
| the _result_ of his talent and his drive. He had got proficient
| in painting in multiple styles and had been intentionally
| developing a style to be his own.
| dekhn wrote:
| To me it wasn't until I saw his painting in person at the Van
| Gogh museum. I had never seen painting with just so much
| physical, 3D realism to them (the paint projects off the canvas
| some 5-10mm in places). I've never seen anything quite like it
| from that era.
|
| Some others that I've gained appreciation for over time:
| Rembrandt (seeing the Night Watch in person, alone, was
| amazing), Vermeer (he was barely known until fairly recently),
| Suerat (didn't quite appreciate pontillism until I read more
| about color theory).
| david927 wrote:
| _> On 23 December 1888, Vincent cut off his left ear in a state
| of total confusion._
|
| The evidence we have now strongly points to that Gauguin cut it
| off during an argument.
| elteto wrote:
| First time I'm hearing this theory. Could you elaborate?
| david927 wrote:
| I'll try to do it justice in a comment but the book is here:
| "Van Gogh's Ear: Paul Gauguin and the Pact of Silence," by
| Hans Kaufmann and Rita Wildegans
|
| A lot of circumstantial evidence but it's pretty telling.
| Paul Gauguin was an expert swordsman who carried a particular
| sword with him at all times. He and Vincent would have
| terrible fights when they lived together in Arles. We know
| that Paul was scheduled to move away the next day and that
| night they had a big fight and that Paul left town
| immediately in a rush leaving his sword behind. The new
| evidence that was found recently is a doctor's rendering of
| the cut ear. It's an extremely clean cut from the top,
| straight down.
|
| There's more to it but those are some interesting details.
| pcurve wrote:
| The video here explains it well.
|
| https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/art-and-stories/vincent-
| van-...
|
| Very sad.
| ehsankia wrote:
| Hmm, there's nothing in that video about this new theory?
| It still claims that he cut it himself, and uses Paul more
| as a justification for why he would've been under
| stress/confusion.
| [deleted]
| leonheld wrote:
| Please, *please, do yourself a favour and go to the Van Gogh
| museum. Going up the stairs and seeing Gogh's life unfold is
| amazing!
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