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| Colored pencil of Van Gogh from his self-portrait |
What would it be like to talk to the most famous artist in
the world? If I had the chance, I know there is at least one thing everyone would
like to know.
Van Gogh is the epitome of the tortured artist. His use of
color and form changed the way we think of art. He was a visionary genius. There
are probably very few people who have not heard of him. Of all the post-impressionists,
he is my favorite. It has always been a dream of mine to study art in Paris. It
would have been an incredible experience to have worked with the likes of
Gauguin, Bernard, and Talouse-Lautrec, talking of colors, light, shadows, and
perspective, while sipping espresso along the River Seine.
Van Gogh’s short life was not an easy one. He was born into
extreme poverty, was not successful at love or at selling his paintings, even
though his brother, Theo, was an art dealer. He was changeable, moving around various parts
of Paris, seemingly at a moment’s notice, settling at Arles, France, in the
last years before his suicide at age 37. His brother, Theo was his confidant
and major benefactor, sending him money to support him throughout his life.
He was quite a prolific artist. In the ten years that Van
Gogh painted, he created 900 actual paintings, and over 150 sketches that
accompanied his many letters (some 800) to his brother, family, and friends. If
you do the math, that amounts to four paintings a day for ten years!
My imaginary interview with Van Gogh would go something like
this:
I arrive at the little bistro along the seine. The sky is a blue and clear, and the sun is
shining, glistening over the gently rippling waves of the water. He is sitting
comfortably on the chair, dressed in very loose worn slacks that hang on his
too-thin frame. His jacket hangs open and a scarf is tied loosely around his
neck. He has a three-day growth of beard on his face and his fiery red hair is short-cropped
to his head. I avert my eyes at the obvious scars. I introduce myself. We shake
hands and exchange pleasantries. He tells me that he needs to go and paint
while the sun is high in the sky, so to please begin the interview. I agree and
begin.
Me: What made you take
up painting?
Van Gogh: Love. Love of nature and of beauty.
Me: Just “love?” Was there a certain someone that you loved?
Van Gogh: (Squirming a bit on
his seat and hesitating). Yes, I was in love once but
it did not end well.
Me: How unfortunate.
Do you think this was because of your habit of moving around that caused the
problems?
Van Gogh: I do not know.
Me: (He seems
offended at this line of questioning, but I persist). It had nothing to do with it?
Van Gogh: Perhaps. He takes a
big drag off his cigarette, blowing the smoke out quickly.
Me: is my understanding that you were to study theology and
wished to become a minister. What was the reason for your leaving?
Van Gogh: (He waves his hand
in a dismissing fashion). It was not for me. They would
not let me preach any longer. They did not care for my austere way of living. I
believed it to be a pious way of life. Can we move on to my work? The sun is getting
low. I will not have time to paint today.
Me: Very well. How would
you interpret your work? Why do you paint flowers and scenes of peasants?
Van Gogh: I find solice in nature
and the beauty of natural surroundings. It is my sanctuary. Nature is a model
for beauty, balance and harmony in life and in my paintings. There is a bond
between humanity and the natural world. Painting helps keep me reasonable. This
is why I paint flowers. As for painting peasant scenes, my painting of them
expresses the spirit of the life of the poor.
Me: I see. Thank you for your time, Mr. Van Gogh. I do have
one last question for you that I think everyone would be interested in knowing….why
did you cut off your ear?
Van Gogh: This interview is over. With
that, he gets up, flings his scarf over his shoulder, puts on his hat and walks
away.
Maybe I should have been a bit more tactful.
We will never know what caused his continuous mental
breakdowns and eventual suicide before he reached 40. There are numerous
theories and explanations as to what caused his breakdown. My own theory is
that he was drove himself incessantly to paint, didn’t take care of his
physical health or nutrition, had a predisposition for mental disease such as
bipolar disorder perhaps, and had a habit of eating paint, which contained
lead. This all lead to a lethal combination that culminated in his taking his own
life.
Thank you for indulging me in my fantasy. If you would like to contact me or have problems leaving a comment on the site, let me know.
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