You do not need to be an expert and art historian in order to recall the famous painting of the Dutch artist of the same name by Vincent Van Gogh at the word “sunflowers”. A series of works with the image of this plant was the culmination of the artist. Initially, the painting "Sunflowers" was painted by a master with the aim of decorating his home in Arles in order to appear in a favorable light to his colleague and friend Paul Gauguin. The artist could not even think that in the future this work would become his calling card, and the original picture will be stored in the Van Gogh National Museum in Amsterdam.
Artist Biography
Vincent Van Gogh was born in the Netherlands - the country that gave rise to more than a dozen brilliant personalities in the field of art. His father and brother were priests, so the boy followed in their footsteps and, after graduating, went to serve in a church parish in the small Belgian town of Borinage.
An irrepressible thirst for justice and the ability to notice things hidden from the eyes of ordinary people made Vincent an ardent fighter for justice. Working and being surrounded by miners dying of fatigue and poverty, he simply could not stay away. Seeing the world in its true light, Van Gogh decides to devote himself to painting. For lack of livelihoods and, all the more, training, the novice artist was engaged in self-education, only occasionally falling into the hands of professional masters. In fairness, we note that none of them believed in Vincent’s ability.
Why have sunflowers become a central element of Van Gogh's work?
The first serious work of the artist was created by him based on life in a mining town and was called "Potato Eaters." However, his most famous painting is Sunflowers. According to the biographical information about the artist, the happiest years of his life were during his stay in Arles. The nature of that town, the fields and the endless sun seriously inspired Vincent. It was then that the picture “Sunflowers” ​​appeared, followed by a whole series of works with the image of a flower in various sketches.
The house in Arles was painted in the artist's favorite color - yellow, which, like a reflex, is reflected in all the important canvases of Van Gogh.
Inside the dwelling, the walls were white, which made the room even more sunny in the daytime. Vincent dreamed that his house would become a haven for artists who could hold creative gatherings and work on paintings here. The south of France was insanely inspired by the impressionable Dutchman! Once Vincent was expecting to visit his confidant in craft and a good friend
Paul Gauguin. Wishing to decorate his room by his arrival, Vincent first draws sunflowers. Working hard to surprise his colleague with his creative successes, Van Gogh writes inspirational letters to his brother Theo, in which he mentions his own passion for yellow and
blue.
In August 1888, Vincent Van Gogh created five panels depicting sunflowers, but only three of them have survived to this day, and they are stored in London, Munich and Amsterdam.
Description of the artwork "Sunflowers"
From the point of view of the classical canons of painting, Vincent Van Gogh cannot boast of skill. However, over the years of hard work, he developed a personal style of writing, which was reflected in his famous painting.
The picture “Sunflowers” ​​completely absorbs the viewer's attention with its charismatic and large strokes. Visually, the vase looks small for huge and obstinate sunflowers. As for the latter, they seem to seek to penetrate beyond the canvas, exploring the world around them and striving for the sweeping rays of the sun. The texture of the picture attracts attention with its relief. Smears are full of emotions. It seems that the artist was in a hurry to "pour himself out" on the canvas, until he was blown away by a stormy fountain of sensual delight.
Closer examination of the picture creates an illusion of the dynamism of sunflowers, as if they are swinging on stems under the dense weight of the petals and inflorescences.
Beautiful yellow color
The painting “Sunflowers” ​​is a vivid proof that the artist didn’t matter if the object was animated or not. Everything in the world was for him a single matter, which was worthy of life under his brush. Each element of Van Gogh's composition had its own soul, which the artist depicted with the help of color and intense strokes.
Sunflower in the work of Vincent became the quintessence of all things. This plant lived according to the laws of nature and, in a manner peculiar to it, was drawn to the sun's rays.
The
value of the flower in the artist’s mind did not detract from the fact that it externally resembled a sun disc with falling radiant petals. Van Gogh repeatedly mentioned that it is yellow that is the central element of the symphony of color. He embodied for him joy, hope, a smile - a complex of feelings and emotions that is difficult to convey in words.
Even after years when the artist left his yellow house in Arles and moved to the streets of Paris, in his paintings, with the slightest hint of yellow, he tried to propagate it, to give it volume. All the works of Van Gogh, including his famous painting “Sunflowers”, are filled with passion and an excess of feelings. The artist deliberately simplified the shape of objects, focusing on their color characteristics. His yellow palette looks as if every time before applying the smear, he opened his eyes wide and looked deep into the sun's disk, exploring the fullness of the light.