Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Wheatfield June 1888 Arles, oil on canvas, 50.0 x 61.0 cm. P. and N. de Boer Foundation, Amsterdam.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Roses and peonies June 1886 Paris, oil on canvas, 59.8 x 72.5 cm. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo © Collection Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Orchard bordered by cypresses April 1888 Arles oil on canvas, 64.9 x 81.2 cm. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo © Collection Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, View of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer 1/3 June 1888 Arles oil on canvas, 64.2 x 53.0 cm. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo © Collection Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, The green vineyard 2–3 October 1888 Arles, oil on canvas, 72.2 x 92.2 cm. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo © Collection Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Pine trees at sunset December 1889 Saint-Rémy oil on canvas, 91.5 x 72.0 cm. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo © Collection Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, The garden of the asylum at Saint-Rémy May 1889 Saint- Rémy, oil on canvas, 91.5 x 72.0 cm. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo © Collection Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Tree trunks in the grass late April 1890 Saint-Rémy oil on canvas, 72.5 x 91.5 cm. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo © Collection Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, The parsonage garden in the snow January 1885 Nuenen oil on canvas on wood panel, 53.0 x 78.0 cm. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. The Armand Hammer Collection, gift of the Armand Hammer Foundation.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Planting potatoes September 1884 Nuenen oil on canvas, 70.5 x 170.0 cm. Von der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–1890, A wheatfield, with cypresses early September 1889 Saint- Rémy, oil on canvas, 72.1 x 90.9 cm. National Gallery, London Bought, Courtauld Fund, 1923 © The National Gallery, London.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Olive grove with two olive pickers December 1889 Saint-Rémy, oil on canvas, 73.3 x 92.2 cm. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo © Collection Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Patch of grass April-June 1887 Paris, oil on canvas, 30.8 x 39.7 cm. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo © Collection Kröller Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Farmhouse in Provence June 1888 Arles oil on canvas, 46.1 x 60.9 cm. National Gallery of Art, Washington Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, River bank in springtime June 1887 Paris, oil on canvas, 48.9 x 58.1 cm. Dallas Museum of Art, Texas. Gift of Mr and Mrs Eugene McDermott in memory of Arthur Berger.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, The parsonage garden at Nuenen in winter mid March 1884 Nuenen
pen and brown ink with white heightening, 51.5 x 38.0 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest Gift of Pál Majovszky, 1934.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Wheatfield 1888 Arles, oil on canvas, 55.2 x 66.7 cm. Honolulu Museum of Art, Hawaii. Gift of Mrs Richard A. Cooke and family in memory of Richard A. Cooke, 1946.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Basket of hyacinth bulbs January–February 1887 Paris oil on wood panel, 31.2 x 48.3 cm. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation).
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Trees and undergrowth July 1887 Paris, oil on canvas, 46.2 x 55.2 cm. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation).
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Snow-covered field with a harrow (after Millet) January 1890 Saint-Rémy, oil on canvas, 72.1 x 92.0 cm. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Avenue of poplars in autumn late October 1884 Nuenen oil on canvas on wood panel, 99.0 x 65.7 cm. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Purchased with support from the Vincent van Gogh Foundation and the Rembrandt Association.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–1890, Still life with wildflowers and carnations summer 1887 Paris, oil on canvas, 80.0 x 67.0 cm. Private Collection.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, The sower December 1882 The Hague pencil, brush and ink, watercolour, 61.3 x 39.8 cm. P. and N. de Boer Foundation, Amsterdam.
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Bowl with zinnias and other flowers 1886 50.2 x 61.0 cm, oil on canvas. Purchased 1951. National Gallery of Canada.
Until relatively recently, Van Gogh’s emotionally charged paintings were attributed to his struggles with depression. The ex-minister turned artist’s spirituality was largely unquestioned.
Having parted ways with the Dutch Reformed Church over his insistence on taking a vow of poverty – only to be rejected by the Methodist church, Van Gogh was adrift from institutional religion. Nonetheless, he remained a believer, indeed he saw “the hand of God everywhere in nature,” said NGV curator Ted Gott.
With dwindling funds, Van Gogh took to painting at the age of 27, carrying his personal brand of mysticism onto the canvas. He developed an iconography based on the seasons, the cycles of nature, where colours took on symbolic meaning.
If you take a closer look at the iconic The Starry Night (not in the show but possibly reproduced on a drink coaster at your next holiday rental) you will notice a profusion of blue and yellow in the sky – shimmering with God – similarly, the windows of the town’s house are lit with yellow. At dead centre at the bottom of the painting, the church is darkened.
This exhibition sees Van Gogh’s struggle with questions of life. The seasons are allegorical – reaping and sowing, represent growth in life and death in harvest. In particular, wheat fields, olive and cypress trees were frequent subjects that allude to this cycle.
Here, 40 paintings and 25 drawings, on loan from the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam and the Kröller- Müller Museum, Otterlo are grouped by seasons.
Van Gogh’s early Dutch landscapes are marked by dreariness, take The parsonage garden in the snow, January 1885, Nuenen – he did say once “sorrow is better than joy.” Yet in any cycle, there is always the hope of renewal.
Van Gogh and the Seasons
National Gallery of Victoria (NGV International)
28 April – 9 July
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