Skip to main content

Van Gogh Musuem

This was my absolute most favorite thing I did in Amsterdam; I got the incredible opportunity to see the Van Gogh Musuem. Now, if you have read my National Art Gallery blog you know I am a sucker for a good art museum AND that my all-time favorite artist is Van Gogh. So being in Amsterdam and going to this museum was honestly like Christmas for me. All I need to do now is go to New York and visit the Met so I can see the Stary Night and I can die happy. I honestly had the most wonderful time there, if I lived closer it would be somewhere I would try or work or at least go too once a week.

After seeing this man's work all I can say is that he is a creative genius. His use of colors and showcasing his induvial brush strokes are absolutely gorgeous, there is not really any other way to describe it. The progression of his works was so cool to see. His earliest works was when he was 27 and he continued painting until he was 37. So, over the course of 10 years, he had 900 paintings, and 1,100 drawings/sketches. Obviously not all of his work was showcased but being able to see paintings like Wheatfield with Crows, Irises, The Potato Eaters, Almond blossom, and The Bedroom was so amazing. There were times I forgot to take pictures because I was so enthralled with the art in front of me.


After we left, I found a poem written by poet Seamus Heaney called An Artist that perfectly describes Van Gogh and his art style. Although his poem was about artist Cézanne, there are a multitude of comparisons that can be made between him and Van Gogh. One example of their devotion to their craft. the specific lines being,

"Everything pared to the fact of the brushstroke"

"Nothing evoked that was not precise"

Van Gogh was deeply committed to craft and repetition, he painted 30 different versions of sunflowers. His brush work was also carefully built up to convey emotional truth though material form. Every stroke of his paint brush is planned, calculated, and meaningful to his work.
I think two of his works that best portray this are Stary Night and Self-portrait with Gray Felt Hat. It is just incredible to see all the individual strokes he made with his brush to create such a magnificent piece of art.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dungarvan Garda Station

My last adventure: The Dungarvan Garda Sation. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I am a criminal justice major so during my time here, I got to experience some aspects of Ireland's criminal justice system. During class today, instead of staying in the classroom, we got to tour the local garda station and go watch some cases in their city court afterwards. I personally felt it was a better way to spend out morning rather than being stuck in a classroom for two hours. The station was really cool and very different from a police station in America. The station here only has five police officers, five. Do you know how little that is? When we walked into the first "office" area, there was one officer that was in charge of answering the phones, watching security cameras, inputting data into the computers, AND handle any prisoners that may come in. That is 4 jobs that ONE person has to do. In America, there is someone handling each other those jobs, sometimes, even two officer...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fairy Lane

       While on a scenic bike ride on the Waterford Greenway trail, I came across what could only be described as another world. Greenery incases you from all sides and branches with low hanging leaves sway above you. The world smelled fresh and a sense of calm and beauty just fills your soul. You truly couldn't help taking long deep breathes to fully emersed yourself in its beauty. As you venture further down this path, it becomes even more whimsical as little fairy doors start popping up along the walls. Faires have long been a part of Irish culture as they are depicted as guardians of nature. These beings are playful but troublesome as they interact with humans in unexpected ways. In Amercian culture, we depict fairies as playful, nice creates as we related them to movies like Tinkerbell. Lovable creatures, filled with magic and determination love but fear humans all the same.      When I was little, my grandma and I bonding over my very own fairy g...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dunluce Castle

Being from America, I don't have the opportunity to see castles within everyday life, so having the opportunity to see the ruins of an old medieval castle was almost like a dream. As most girls, I grew up watching Disney Princesses and would daydream of living in a castle and get to wear dresses and run around the halls. As an adult I now know that is not what princesses do and that is not what I want to spend my days doing, but seeing a castle was still a bucket list item for the little girl inside me. The Dunluce castle, though in ruin, was still absolutely beautiful. There were so many intricate parts of the castle like stairs leading up a tower to a tall, amazingly preserved window. I honestly felt like I could have stayed there for hours. The view, however, made the entire experience. The castle sits atop a hill that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and oh my goodness I would kill to wake up with that breathtaking view. I have always felt very connected to nature, maybe it's ...
Post a Comment
Read more