"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream." - Vincent Van Gogh

Starry Night

June 1889, Oil on Canvas, 28 3/8 x 36 1/8 in.

                I fully realized my passion for art during a family trip to Europe.  While in Amsterdam we visited The Van Gogh Museum; I walked through the doors and BOOM! I was head-over-heels in love.  It is only right, then, that I mention two articles I read recently pertaining to my favorite artist. 

Self-Portrait

September 1889, Oil on Canvas, 25 5/8 x 21 3/8 in.

                The first article, “The Stranger,” from Time Magazine is a short review of a new biographical book of Vincent van Gogh by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith called The Life.  My interest in this article led me to another book review from The New York Times entitled “The Persona and the Palette.”  Both articles mention that the book brings to light a new theory about his death; perhaps it was not suicide but an accidental shooting by a boy in town who owned a faulty gun and liked to tease van Gogh; why else would the doctor say van Gogh was shot from a distance?  Why would van Gogh tell the police “Don’t accuse anyone else.”  However, the book does not center on this theory but rather deals with tumultuous van Gogh’s life and art.  During the writing of their book the authors gathered a plethora of information; more than they were able to fit into the book.  The left out information was still interesting and pertinent so they created a companion website (http://vangoghbiography.com/mission) which includes notes, sources, biographies of people mentioned in the book, photographs, family trees, artwork, etc.  This situation (the book with the companion website) reminds me of an exhibition and an exhibition catalogue – where, no matter how much information and artwork, a curator must decide what artwork works the best to create a cohesive exhibition and the curator can then include other extraneous information in the catalogue.  I also see a link between the book with its website and the Luce Center at SAAM – where all kinds of artwork is on display and if you want to know more about a particular piece there are computers scattered around the space which can provide you with more information.

Still Life: Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers

January 1889, Oil on Canvas, 36 5/8 x 28 3/4 in.

                The second article (found tacked to the bulletin board outside of the Luce Conservation Center), “Why van Gogh is Entering his Brown Period” by The Independent discusses the reasons why the yellows in van Gogh’s paintings are gradually turning brown.  After sample analysis was performed on both samples from van Gogh's paintings and samples from historic paint tubes it was discovered that the chrome yellow pigment van Gogh used to make his sunflowers vibrant is affected by sunlight; which gradually turns brown over time.   Scientists believe that van Gogh’s technique of mixing white paint with his chrome yellow may have acted as a catalyst to the paint changing color.  This finding, I believe, must affect curatorial practices on the exhibition of paintings by van Gogh with this chrome yellow pigment.  Hopefully scientists will be able to find a way to reverse the pigment’s reaction or at least stop the process from going any further.  If not, how will exhibition techniques for these paintings change?  How will curators react?