About five years back, I saw the show "Van Gogh and Gauguin: The Studio of the South" at The Art Institute of Chicago. While I enjoyed the art, it was the story of these two soon-to-be-famous painters living together in a little house while Van Gogh slowly succumbed to mental illness that fascinated me. Like most people, I knew Van Gogh as the crazy painter who cut his ear off - even if I liked some of his paintings, I hadn't ever really thought of him as anything more than a caricature. That show filled in many of the gray areas, and it encouraged me to read a new book that goes into much more detail on the time when these two artists spent a short, magical, bizarre stretch living and working just a few feet from one another.
The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine Turbulent Weeks in Arles by Martin Gayford takes an in-depth look at who Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin were as people, how they saw themselves as artists, how their art fit into the historical context, how they influenced each other, and how their personalities ensured that their time together would be short-lived. While it seems amazing that Van Gogh and Gauguin could have ever been roomies, looking at the situation it wasn't strange at all.
Both were struggling painters doing what at the time was considered experimental art, and Van Gogh's younger brother Theo was an art dealer in position to sell their paintings. Especially Gauguin's, who was just starting to get serious nibbles from art collectors. (Van Gogh was not selling anything and his brother was supporting him.) Each had little money, each ran in similar art circles, and each had Theo van Gogh in common. So, for roughly two months in the fall and winter of 1888, they lived together.
The idea had been Van Gogh's. He admired Gauguin's work and was hoping their time together might be the start of an artists colony of sorts in the French town of Arles. Gauguin was five years older than Vincent, and although Van Gogh's work would eventually outshine Gauguin's, at the time Gauguin was more successful and Van Gogh treated him like a wise big brother. Gauguin was the alpha male in the relationship, and Van Gogh was anxious to impress him.
Article comments
1 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Excellent, seamlessly engrossing review--thanks!
2 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States. Nice work!
3 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Congratulations! This article has been selected as an Editors' Pick.
4 - Adam Jusko
Yay for me. Thanks much.
5 - Casey Klahn
I am in the middle of reviewing Gayford's book at my own blog. I argue with his views, but mostly have a spot of fun at just about everyone's expense. Thanks for your interesting review, as well.
6 - am
I would like to alert everyone to an incredible film I saw called The Eyes of Van Gogh directed by Alexander Barnett.
You can find details at The Eyes of Van Gogh or look for the title at IMDb.com, which is a film database.