1. The Life ofThe Life of
Vincent Van GoghVincent Van Gogh
World LiteratureWorld Literature
Southern Baptist CollegeSouthern Baptist College

2. Vincent Van Gogh’s ArtVincent Van Gogh’s Art
by: Robert Wallaceby: Robert Wallace
Vincent Van Gogh’s work is of anVincent Van Gogh’s work is of an
extremely personal sort. His landscapes,extremely personal sort. His landscapes,
figures, interiors, and still lifes are in afigures, interiors, and still lifes are in a
sense self-portraits as well. It was hissense self-portraits as well. It was his
method to fuse what he saw and what hemethod to fuse what he saw and what he
felt into paintings that were revelations offelt into paintings that were revelations of
himself. His color and his warmth are sohimself. His color and his warmth are so
powerful that looking at one of hispowerful that looking at one of his
paintings can be like staring into the blue,paintings can be like staring into the blue,
yellow, and orange flames beyond theyellow, and orange flames beyond the
suddenly opened furnace.suddenly opened furnace.

3. Van Gogh committed himself toVan Gogh committed himself to
being an artist because through artbeing an artist because through art
he could pour out his feelings. Ithe could pour out his feelings. It
was his way of showing hiswas his way of showing his
compassion for the poor Dutchcompassion for the poor Dutch
peasants whom he loved so much.peasants whom he loved so much.
This was his way of communicatingThis was his way of communicating
with God.with God.

4. The Potato Eaters, 1885 by: Vincent Van Gogh

5. The Potato EatersThe Potato Eaters is known as Vanis known as Van
Gogh’s first masterpiece. In dark,Gogh’s first masterpiece. In dark,
earthen colors he gives witness toearthen colors he gives witness to
the grim life of people to whomthe grim life of people to whom
dinner consists of stabbing at boileddinner consists of stabbing at boiled
potatoes in a room, as crude as apotatoes in a room, as crude as a
stable. In details like the gnarled,stable. In details like the gnarled,
work hands and coarse features, thework hands and coarse features, the
tenderness in the eyes of the girl,tenderness in the eyes of the girl,
and the glow of the orangeand the glow of the orange
lamplight, Van Gogh attests to alamplight, Van Gogh attests to a
harsh but thoroughly human reality.harsh but thoroughly human reality.

6. The painting is a statement andThe painting is a statement and
indictment toward which Van Gogh hadindictment toward which Van Gogh had
been tending all his life. He wrote “I havebeen tending all his life. He wrote “I have
tried to emphasize that these people,tried to emphasize that these people,
eating their potatoes in the lamplight,eating their potatoes in the lamplight,
have dug the earth with those very handshave dug the earth with those very hands
they put in the dish, and so it speaks ofthey put in the dish, and so it speaks of
manual labor and how they have honestlymanual labor and how they have honestly
earned their food. I have wanted to giveearned their food. I have wanted to give
the impression of a way of life quitethe impression of a way of life quite
different from that of us civilized people.different from that of us civilized people.
Therefore, I am not anxious for everyoneTherefore, I am not anxious for everyone
to like it or admire it at once. I amto like it or admire it at once. I am
personally convinced that I get betterpersonally convinced that I get better
results by painting them in theirresults by painting them in their
roughness than b y giving them aroughness than b y giving them a
conventional charm.”conventional charm.”

7. There are no references to theThere are no references to the
religion in Van Gogh’s remarks aboutreligion in Van Gogh’s remarks about
The Potato EatersThe Potato Eaters, and yet it is a, and yet it is a
religious painting of the mostreligious painting of the most
powerful sort. It is at once a visionpowerful sort. It is at once a vision
of a sacrament- the communion ofof a sacrament- the communion of
those who toil- an accusation. It isthose who toil- an accusation. It is
intended to arouse a sense of guiltintended to arouse a sense of guilt
and wrath among “civilized” peopleand wrath among “civilized” people
who tolerate or profit from humanwho tolerate or profit from human
degradation.degradation.

8. Those peasants stirred Van GoghThose peasants stirred Van Gogh
deeply. To him, painting peasant lifedeeply. To him, painting peasant life
was a serious thing. In his drawings,was a serious thing. In his drawings,
he did not particularize faces. Hehe did not particularize faces. He
wanted to show the humanwanted to show the human
condition, not portray individuals.condition, not portray individuals.
Even in his landscapes, still lifes, andEven in his landscapes, still lifes, and
portraits, he demonstrated hisportraits, he demonstrated his
continuing dedication to acontinuing dedication to a
heightened expression of life.heightened expression of life.

9. More on Van Gogh:More on Van Gogh:
Van Gogh was advanced for his time.Van Gogh was advanced for his time.
His paintings were not conventional. TheyHis paintings were not conventional. They
were reflective of the roughness ofwere reflective of the roughness of
poverty and the miseries of the poorpoverty and the miseries of the poor
people. He got so frustrated with thepeople. He got so frustrated with the
society that did not feel the poor. Hesociety that did not feel the poor. He
mutilated his ears because he did not wantmutilated his ears because he did not want
to hear the mockery and arrogance ofto hear the mockery and arrogance of
“civilized” society. In the end, Van Gogh“civilized” society. In the end, Van Gogh
committed suicide when he felt he couldcommitted suicide when he felt he could
not free the poor peasants from thenot free the poor peasants from the
bondage of poverty and misery. Very fewbondage of poverty and misery. Very few
people understood Van Gogh’s cause. Inpeople understood Van Gogh’s cause. In
fact, it was only Theo, his brother, whofact, it was only Theo, his brother, who
understood his cause.understood his cause.

10. Starry Night by: Vincent Van Gogh

11. Vincent
By: Don McLean
Starry, Starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer’s day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land

12. Now I understandNow I understand
What you tried to say to meWhat you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanityAnd how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free;And how you tried to set them free;
They would not listenThey would not listen
They did not know how,They did not know how,
Perhaps they’ll listen now.Perhaps they’ll listen now.
Starry, starry nightStarry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blazeFlaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violent hazeSwirling clouds in violent haze
Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of China blue.Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of China blue.
Colors changing hue,Colors changing hue,
Morning fields of amber grain,Morning fields of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined with painWeathered faces lined with pain
Are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand.Are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand.

13. For they could not love you,For they could not love you,
But still your love was true,But still your love was true,
And when no hope was left in sightAnd when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry nightOn that starry, starry night
You took your life, as lovers often do;You took your life, as lovers often do;
But I could have told you, Vincent,But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meantThis world was never meant
For one as beautiful as you.For one as beautiful as you.
Starry, starry night,Starry, starry night,
Portraits hung on empty hallsPortraits hung on empty halls
Frameless heads on nameless wallsFrameless heads on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can’t forget.With eyes that watch the world and can’t forget.
Like the strangers that you’ve met,Like the strangers that you’ve met,
The ragged men in ragged clothes,The ragged men in ragged clothes,
The silver thorns of bloody roseThe silver thorns of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

14. Now I think I knowNow I think I know
What you tried to say to meWhat you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanityAnd how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free.And how you tried to set them free.
They would not listenThey would not listen
They’re not listening still,They’re not listening still,
Perhaps they never will . . . .Perhaps they never will . . . .

15. Birth name:Birth name: Vincent Willem van GoghVincent Willem van Gogh
Born:Born: 30 March 1853)30 March 1853)
ZundertZundert,, NetherlandsNetherlands
Died:Died: 29 July 1890) (aged 37)29 July 1890) (aged 37)
Auvers-sur-OiseAuvers-sur-Oise,, FranceFrance
Nationality:Nationality: DutchDutch
Field:Field: PainterPainter
Movement:Movement: Post-ImpressionismPost-Impressionism
Works:Works: The Potato EatersThe Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, The Starry Night,, Sunflowers, The Starry Night,
Irises, Portrait of Dr. GachetIrises, Portrait of Dr. Gachet
Patrons:Patrons: Theo van GoghTheo van Gogh