Vincent in Paris

(Spring 1887)
 

Last year I painted almost nothing but flowers to accustom myself to a colour other than grey, that’s to say pink, soft or bright green, light blue, violet, yellow, orange, fine red. And when I painted landscape in Asnières this summer I saw more colour in it than before. I’m studying this now in portraits.

From a letter to his sister, Willemien van Gogh, Paris, late October 1887

Garden in Montmarte with lovers
1887
Oil on canvas
75 x 112,5 cm
Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum
https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/s0019v1962

Vincent in Paris
(Spring 1887)

 In the spring of 1887 Vincent Van Gogh stayed with Émile Bernard and his parents in Asnières and the budding spring seemed to trigger an awakening within van Gogh where he experimented with the genres to develop his personal style. In a country setting, undergoing industrialization, van Gogh was able to depict his reverence for rural life and express concern about encroachment of industrialization. With new techniques, van Gogh produced paintings evoked tenderness of couples taking a walk in the park or social commentary about the ways in which factories affected country life. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asnières_(Van_Gogh_series)

Square Saint-Pierre bij zonsondergang (Square Saint-Pierre at Sunset)
May 1887
Oil on canvas on cardboard
33 x 42 cm
Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum
https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/s0098V1962

It takes a while before you realize what is so different about this painting: Van Gogh made the sky predominantly yellow and the foreground blue. This is how he painted the nightfall. The three figures between the trees are no more than shadows. It is easy to see that the Paris Square Saint-Pierre was a relatively new park in Van Gogh's time. The trees are still young. It is now called Square Louise-Michel and lies at the foot of the Sacré Coeur basilica, now one of the most famous churches in Paris. It was under construction at the time.

 

The square Louise-Michel as you can see it on Google streetview

Vincent in Paris
(Spring 1887)
 

Asnières, now named Asnières-sur-Seine, is the subject and location of paintings that Vincent van Gogh made in 1887. The works, which include parks, restaurants, riverside settings and factories, mark a breakthrough in van Gogh's artistic development. In the Netherlands his work was shaped by great Dutch masters as well as Anton Mauve a Dutch realist painter who was a leading member of the Hague School and a significant early influence on his cousin-in-law van Gogh. In Paris van Gogh was exposed to and influenced by Impressionism, Symbolism, Pointillism, and Japanese woodblock print genres. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asnières_(Van_Gogh_series)

Park at Asnieres in Spring
1887
Oil on canvas
50 x 65 cm
Private collection

Vincent in Paris
(March -April 1887)
 

Conflicts arose between the brothers. At the end of 1886 Theo found living with Vincent to be "almost unbearable". By early 1887, they were again at peace, and Vincent had moved to Asnières (Pronouned: A-nee-air), a northwestern suburb of Paris, where he got to know Signac. He adopted elements of Pointillism, a technique in which a multitude of small coloured dots are applied to the canvas so that when seen from a distance they create an optical blend of hues. The style stresses the ability of complementary colours – including blue and orange – to form vibrant contrasts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh

Flowerpot with Chives
January - February 1887
Oil on canvas
31,9 x 22 cm
Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum
https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/collection/s0183V1962

 I left a lot of clues in yesterdays post so I can assume that everybody knows now we are talking about Vincent Van Gogh.

Vincent Van Gogh
(30 March 1853 - 29 July 1890)
 

In 1886, Vincent moved to Paris where he met members of the avant-garde, including Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin, who were reacting against the Impressionist sensibility. As his work developed he created a new approach to still life and landscape. His paintings grew brighter as he developed a style that became fully realised during his stay in Arles in the South of France in 1888. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh

Montmartre: Quarry, the Mills
Autumn 1886
Oil on canvas
32 x 41 cm
Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum

From a letter by Theo to  Caroline van Stockum-Haanebeek about the apartment in Montmartre on 10 July 1887: 

As you may know, I am living with my brother Vincent, who is studying painting with indefatigable diligence. Since he needs quite a lot of space for his work, we are living in quite a large apartment in Montmartre (rue Lepic 54) which, as you know, is a suburb of Paris built up against a hill. The remarkable thing about our flat is that from the windows we have a magnificent view across the city with the hills of Meudon, St-Cloud etc. on the horizon, and a piece of sky above it that is almost as big as when one stands on the dunes. With the different effects created by the variations in the sky it is a subject for I don’t know how many paintings.

 
www.vangoghletters.org

Rue Lepic 54 on Google streetview

 

(1886)
 

Our artist was born into an upper-middle-class family. As a child he was serious, quiet and thoughtful. He began drawing at an early age and as a young man worked as an art dealer, often traveling, but became depressed after he was transferred to London. He turned to religion and spent time as a Protestant missionary in southern Belgium. He drifted in ill health and solitude before taking up painting in 1881, having returned home to his parents. His younger brother supported him financially; the two kept a long correspondence by letter.

Kingfisher
Second half 1886
Oil on canvas
Amsterdam: Van Gogh Museum

 

From a letter to his brother:

I say that it’s a terrible pity that here there’s no enthusiasm, so to speak, for the art that’s most suitable for the common people.
If the painters were to close ranks to ensure that their work (which, after all, is made for the people, in my view — at least I believe that is the highest, noblest vocation for any artist) could also come into the hands of the people and was put within everyone’s reach, that would be something that would produce the same results as were produced in the first years of The Graphic.

Every month I choose a theme and try to post as many different artists as there are days.
But for the month’s July and August of 2022 I’m once again going to focus on one artist.
A man who in a decade created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of which date from the last two years of his life.
This man is one of the most famous artists, so it will not be much of a guessing game. I’ll try to post lesser known works by him, using an extra filter, an extra theme but that will also be clear after a couple of days. I will also be focusing on the last 4 years of his life and I shall post them chronologically starting in 1886.
Enjoy!


(30 March 1853 - 29 July 1890)
 

 Who rejoices in the green of the pine trees and cedar and ivy and holly and moss in the winter? Dry wood gives more heat, bright fire and light when it is lit than green wood does. There is no fear in Love, but perfect love shutteth out fear.

From a letter to his brother.

Lane at the Jardin du Luxembourg
June-July 1886
Oil on canvas
27,5 x 46 cm
Williamstown: Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute