Bold brushstrokes, vivid colours, and heartache around every corner – Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the real paintings of Van Gogh at the National Gallery’s blockbuster show, Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers.
It’s fair to say that when you hear the name Vincent Van Gogh you think either one of two things; that he was an incredible artist or that he killed himself. Unfortunately, these two aspects of his life come hand-in-hand when his work is exhibited. But this exhibition makes no statement on his mental health. Instead, it focuses on the vast amount of spectacular art produced during this tumultuous time for the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter. And it is plentiful!
“A journey into a gnarly imagination”
The Guardian
Each room is a tutti-frutti explosion of candy colours and trippy motifs. Each painting gets sweeter, and the unavoidable addiction kicks in with every brushstroke. Jagged trees sit in burnt landscapes, lush green hills roll with swirling clouds, and gardens flourish with animated clarity. I entered the first room with buzzing excitement, and by the end I felt like I’d gone on a journey through Van Gogh’s mind. You feel every daub of paint, every bold, fearless line.
“At the show’s every turn are ordinary things turned strange and monstrous: olive trees that twist in agony; a vineyard that might be teaming with snakes; mountains that would crush a man if they were to move any closer (in Van Gogh, everything moves, all the time)”.
The Observer
Removing the man behind the paintings is hard, and may be unavoidable. They are saturated in tragic beauty; every piece oozes passionate melancholy but also feels alive! And there’s so much life in them. A want, a need to respond to what he was experiencing at the time. The viewer is trusted to connect the dots and form their own impressions of Van Gogh, giving his paintings more power. And with the usual noise around his mental health quieted, this exhibition allows the art space to speak for itself.
Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers is on until 19 January 2025
artmyface 