Vincent Van Gogh
So much has been said about this extraordinary man. One of his paintings today sells easily with buyers for 152 million.
When Vincent was alive and roamed various countrysides for scenes to paint, he was troubled and desperate to find solace in a simple scenery and nature which calmed his nerves and anxieties. He wanted to fall in love, get married, and have children. He wanted to live life like anyone else.He wanted to be accepted, fall in love, and be respected. He tried desperately to fit in and to make something of himself. Vincent struggled most of his life to fit in. What is most remarkable is that he worked hard. He was not a lazy painter, he strove with his mediums and with painting material and worked at it till he achieved a perfection which he was satisfied with. His brother Theo was his lifeline of support and encouragement. His brother worked for an art dealer and sheepishly sold a few of Vincent's sketches. Vincent had a good eye, and he had good composition and was a thoughtful artist who planned his work and studies with vision and purpose. Vincent painted with a motive and message. Vincent tried to go through the schooling system which was rigid and conforming for him to adapt to because Vincent was ahead of his time. People did not respect his creative powers. Vincent struggled with conforming and adapting. And why should he adapt when what he had been shown were rejection and scorn especially by his father and the church. Eventually, Vincent began to surround himself with up and coming artists of his time. It is only after his death that he became known in the artist's circles. It is better for Vincent not to have know fame for it would have overwhelmed him. Today at the National Gallery in Ottawa there are one or two works on display for the world to see.
I think about the struggles Vincent had, he was physically hungry probably most of the time as he tried to make a career out of painting. Working days on end so as to have something to show to his brother who was supporting him. Vincent wanted to be seen as a man worth his hire. Vincent who did not put feeding himself a first priority, money his brother Theo gave him, went into buying materials with the hopes of selling his work to pay off debts and to support himself. He tried to build a home and a safe haven for artists, to come and feel inspired and encouraged at the Yellow House in Arles, France.
His struggles are seen is the blood, sweat, and tears of his canvases. It is the Spirit of God edged into his painting pushing him onward. Vincent came from a religious home and whose father was a minister. Vincent's Father disapproved of Vincent's character and personality. Though Vincent loved and kept close ties with his family the scisms he suffered as a poor artist did have an effect on his spirit and is seen in his writings.
He felt the scorn of those who thought he was conforming. He was a man who was judged because he was different. He was a free thinker yet people thought he was a nut. He worked endlessly, into the nights and early morning. He would paint in the cold and late into the evenings. Imagine mixing paint in the dark with only an oil lamp or the moonlight. We enjoy the starry night so much, but Vincent painted this painting in the dark, he was probably cold and hungry as he painted this canvas. He was not a painter at an early age, in fact, he started painting much later into his late twenties, early thirties. Because he had failed at his occupation as a preacher, as a teacher, and was so hurt by his father's heavy-handedness who was a religious preacher and found Vincent as unacceptable in comportment and mannerism. Vincent was a genuine and honest man, who wanted simple things. Vincent was a Christian and most of his work is depicting the Word of God. Vincent read the Bible and loved the LORD and much of his work too is Sacred like the Sower of seeds found in Luke 8: 4 of the Bible, where Jesus writes about sowing seeds of righteousness. This work is religious and spiritual in nature, where Vincent is saying sow good seeds. Notice the farmer is spewing his seeds onto the ground as one sows seeds of goodwill to receive a crop of goodness with vision and purpose. Vincent was a man who was misunderstood and mistreated, similarly to Jesus the Christ. The church gave him a difficult time and so he decided to leave the church and to instead use art to glorify God. He wanted to use art to share the Word and where he would find acceptance and respect and freedom of expression.
Theo his older brother died six months after Vincent did.
Not many would go near him or allow their daughters to be near him, He was called abrasive and uncivilized. The truth is that he spoke several languages and lived in different countries such as France, he was a native of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He was trying to fit into society. He was trying to teach us that nature was the best remedy. If no one paid for his work how was he to eat and survive and pay for his paints and canvases and brushes? Vincent would use the brush to the last hairs and is know to paint with his finger. Because his brushes were finished or not usable from wear and tear. We love art, then support the artist when they are not famous. Buy the materials, buy their work, support them, help them.
Don't wait until an artist kills themselves to appreciate and support them. Think of Vincent Van Gogh's blood in that field and give, share, love, support those who are doing what they, only know how to survive to do. Don't only support those who you think to deserve it, but think that each person is trying to find his and her place and support them, help them, ask how they are doing?
Do you know someone who in your opinion is weird, quirky, or a misfit? Do not drive them to suicide with your toxic tongue or rolling eyes. Remember God made each of us unique and different. Do not judge others anymore. It's destructive and abusive and can be deadly. Do not be someone's reason why they killed themselves.
This blog is for Vincent Van Gogh. my fellow brother in Christ.
