Vincent Van Gogh, Irises

   It has been a while since we looked at a still life so this week we have a personal favorite. We have a reasonably simple  subject: flowers and vase on a plain background and base, but master painter, Vincent Van Gogh )1853-1890) worked his magic with it!

  When I first see an image like this I often ask myself, "how much of this arrangement did the artist see and paint just as is, or, how much was arranged?" Here I think we can be pretty sure Van Gogh composed this image in front of him before he painted it.  Why?  Because  of the strength of his design.  Long floral leaves create a strong V shape, triangle pointing straight down to the center of the painting, but slightly left of the vase base.  The plain, circular vase balances the huge diagonal line created by the fallen stems.  And, wedged between all of this is a mass of iris flowers.

Believe me, when making a decision to paint a bouquet of flowers in a vase, irises would be the last I would chose because they are so complex.  But Van Gogh created several iris paintings, and usually using an almost complementary color harmony as he did here:  yellow-orange and blue-green.  And, here the colors are vibrant and alive.  The background demands our attention.  The blues are bright and clear and the darks create the necessary value range. And, notice how they are often used as an outline for flowers and leaves.  

   Much is made of Van Gogh's painting style and life, mostly because of his physical and mental illnesses.  This painting was done shortly before he took his life in 1890, and yet, I believe it shows that even then, he must of had days that were relatively good.  Certainly the fallen flowers on our right could be interpreted as some kind of message, but I believe the composition is to strong and the image to beautiful to make that connection.

   This painting is titled Irises, sometimes Irises with Yellow Background.  It was painted around May, 1890 and is an oil on canvas.  It measures 36 inches high, 28.9 inches wide.  It is part of the permanent collection of the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.   

Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do.

   

Comments

  1. Char HarguthAugust 31, 2020 at 8:00 AM

    I cannot look at Van Gogh's work with out thinking of his tormented life and realize that while it didn't limit his talent, it must have influenced all his work. I think a full bouquet of flowers in difficult to paint, but he masters it with values and composition. If the fallen flowers are symbolic, the blossoms are not dead, but alive and vibrant!! His curving strokes always contribute to the painting, whether in the background or in the vase. Lovely painting. One of my favorites too.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wayne Thiebaud, Sunset Streets

Image
   In giving title to this landscape, California artist, Wayne Thiebaud not only provides the location, but also the time of day.  Knowing that Thiebaud is a California artist provides the last clue to guessing the probably location.  Smartly, The San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art purchased this painting for its permanent collection in 1986, a year after it was completed.  Sunset Streets is an oil on canvas measuring 48" x 35".      Wayne Thiebaud was born in 1920 and resides in California. He is one of several artists creating a distinct California aesthetic using heavy pigment and exaggerated color.   He is best known for his commonplace objects, figures, and landscapes. of which this is a perfect example.    The composition of this work is amazing.  Right down the center, at a slight tilt is this blue-black stripe, K shape, beginning with a heavy base and capped with a large triangle of sorts.  The painting is...
Read more

Jimmy Baker, "Double Tillman"

Image
   It has been a while since we have looked at a contemporary artist and new work, and this particular image by Jimmy Baker is somewhat different from others of his.   At first glance our painting for this week appears to be a landscape, maybe a setting or rising sun.  Our attention is drawn to the circle just slightly above middle center, and the arches above and swirls of color high light it.  Look at the lower half, the earth.  The light has highlighted rocks or wood chips, but we are unable to distinguish more.   I think this painting allows us to determine for ourselves what to make of it.   Is this a dying earth, or one recovering from tragedy?         Jimmy Baker (1980-) is from Ohio.  He was born here, received his education in Ohio, and is presently and associate professor at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.  His work has achieved critical acclaim with solo exhibitions in Europe and across t...
Read more

Childe Hassam "The Avenue in Rain"

Image
    I probably should have saved this for the 4th of July, but that is a little far off and this work is among Childe Hassam's finest.      I have known of Childe Hassam (1859 - 1935) for a very long time, but only recently did Wikimedia straighten me out about the correct way to pronounce his first name.  It seems the "e" is silent; and his last name is pronounced as written, with two syllables.        From what I have read, Hassam was a pretty sharp guy, and possibly a little  arrogant.  He created 3,000 some works of art in his career and lived his entire adult life on the proceeds of their sale.  This is quite remarkable.  Most artists, (at least before 1930) had to supplement their income by teaching, commissioned portraits or careers outside the art field.  But Hassam figured out not only how to market his work, but also what subjects would be popular.  Timing is always a big issue, and he wa...
Read more