Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (Zundert, 30 March 1853 -
Auvers-sur-Oise, 29 July 1890) was a Dutch artist. His work was
Post-impressionist, an artistic trend which followed on from the
nineteenth century Impressionist movement. Van Gogh's influence on
Expressionism, Fauvism and Early Abstract was enormous and can be
witnessed in many other aspects of twentieth century art. The Van
Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is dedicated to the work of Van Gogh and
his contemporaries.
Nowadays Van Gogh is considered to be one of the 19th
century's greatest artists. This recognition came too late,
however. During his lifetime he sold only one single painting,
La Vigne Rouge (The Red Vineyard), Pushkin Museum, Moscow.
Anna Boch, a Belgian artist and sister of his friend Eugène Boch
bought it for 400 francs at the Brussels exhibition Les XX in 1890,
a few months before Van Gogh's death.
There were just three years between the melancholy Potato
Eaters (1885) and the colourful displays further south in
Arles (1888). Van Gogh produced all his work in just ten years
before suffering from mental illness and committing suicide. His
fame rose quickly after his death.
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From De Telegraaf dt 28 january 2011:
Translation:
By NICO FASSOTTE
TILBURG/NUENEN, Friday
There are just five photos of Vincent van Gogh anywhere in the
world. Not surprising, as the world famous painter breathed his
last in 1890. One of these rare photos will be displayed
permanently from next week in the Paleis-Raadhuis (Town Hall) in
Tilburg, in the reconstructed Vincent's Art Room. It is a class
photo from the 1866-1867 school year. Van Gogh was at that time a
thirteen year old lad at the King Willem II National High School in
Tilburg. But which of those students is actually him?
According to most experts Vincent is the skinny boy on the first
row, third from the right and with a cap on his knee. Ronald
Peeters from the Tilburg Municipal Museum agrees: "We have studied
all the boys in the photo in detail and the conclusion is clear.
That blond lad is Vincent van Gogh. We know this because we happen
to have another photo of Vincent as a thirteen year old, a portrait
photo. And he looks very much like that boy. The same expression,
the same hairline. I cannot be one hundred percent certain. But I'm
as sure as I can be that it's him. Especially when you consider
that in those days the other boys all had a good head of hair. Van
Gogh came from a strict priest's family, where such a mop of hair
would probably be thought unsuitable."
But the Tilburg artist Ad Willemen is convinced that the boy on the
second row, second from right is the young Vincent van Gogh. "I
used to be an art teacher at the same school and I found this photo
in a shoe box in an attic. I wanted to know for sure which was
Vincent. I had all the boys' photos enlarged separately and I sent
them to the Netherlands Forensic Institute. Unfortunately it did
not prove anything. The photos were too grainy. I suggest it is not
the boy on the front row. Vincent was a first year student at the
time and in those days hierarchy was very important. He would never
have sat in the first row, that's where students from a higher
class sat."
Ad Willemen's opinion is supported by Vincent van Gogh expert Ton
de Brouwer from Nuenen and from the local Van Gogh Centre. Vincent
van Gogh lived and worked in Nuenen for some years. "I also believe
that it's the boy in the second row. Vincent's nephew, the engineer
Van Gogh who died in 1978 also believed that instinctively. But
let's be honest: I'm not completely sure either…"
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Which is / where is Vincent van Gogh sitting?
This question once again became topical when......read further
here: Which is Vincent....
By Rob Bergmans, Son en Breugel
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