Developed in collaboration between MFA Boston and NGS, Into the Modern presents a selection of over 100 Impressionist works from MFA Boston’s (clearly impressive) permanent collection. In NGS’ ten-year history, this is the second time we have the privilege to view French Impressionist works on such a large scale in Singapore. This blog Wording Art has also turned 10 (!!!), and I have loved sharing about Impressionism throughout the years, and so it’s super timely to end the year with nineteenth-century French Impressionism.

Nature and the Impressionists

Into the Modern begins — perhaps a little surprisingly — with the Barbizon School of painters, before Impressionism was fully formed. Located about 60km outside Paris, artists gathered in the village of Barbizon and painted in the nearby Forest of Fontainebleau. Artists like Théodore Rousseau embraced these scenic landscapes untouched by modern developments. I have a soft spot for Rousseau’s paintings of nature, so it was wonderful to see Pool in the Forest. The Barbizon artists painted nature in a Realist style, and influenced the next generation of painters to radically approach nature through Impressionism.

1874: The First Impressionist Exhibition

The reproductions of two prints and a photograph (most right) on this gallery wall offer a look into the annual Salons held in the Palais de l’Industrie from 1855 onwards (where it was previously held in the Louvre). Artists could submit whatever artworks they wanted to the prestigious Salon, but only those that met the academic criteria of the time would be accepted.

It’s probably not surprising that the Impressionist style of loose, rapid painting especially en plein air (in the outdoors) did not fit what the Salon wanted. A group of Impressionist painters gathered together to form the Société anonyme des artistes peintres, sculpteurs, graveurs, etc (Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, etc.). They staged their first Impressionist exhibition in 1874, independent of the Salon, which later came to be a landmark moment for the Impressionists.

Very interestingly, Renoir and Monet painted the same ‘models’ in the portraits above: Monet’s first wife Camille, and their son Jean. Monet made many paintings with Camille and Jean set within lush gardens or fields. In Renoir’s take, Camille looks directly to the viewer (although I find her face not well-portrayed), while the toddler happily wanders off.

I just realised that a reproduced version of Meadow with Poplars was shown at Impressions of Monet at Gardens by the Bay last year! Now we get to see the real thing!

I particularly loved this stretch of four paintings by Renoir, Monet and Cézanne, showing how they depicted people within landscapes.

Waterscapes and Landscapes

This landscape painting looks very much like a Renoir, but reminded me of Cézanne somehow… Turns out Renoir visited Cézanne in the village of L’Estaque in 1882, which Cézanne regularly visited and painted since the 1860s. Together, the two artists painted the same view of the mountainous terrain.

I really like Renoir’s painting of The Seine at Chatou, which was known as a boating spot in the Parisian suburbs. Particularly, I love the details of the girl’s red hat and flowers, and the small boats in the distance.

A Little Post-Impressionism

It’s also a treat to see more of Cézanne’s works. While he shared the Impressionists’ penchant for painting nature, his compositions look quite different as Cézanne began exploring his own painterly style (flatter and with a kind of slanted perspective). Retrospectively then, he’s better known as a Post-Impressionist.

Camille Pissarro’s career was probably the most varied among the Impressionists. His early influences came from the Barbizon School of painters, later becoming the ‘father of Impressionism’. He helped to establish the Société anonyme des artistes peintres, sculpteurs, graveurs, etc, and acted as a mentor and father figure to key Impressionist figures.

The two paintings pictured here marks Pissarro’s late period when he explored Pointillism. After meeting the Neo-Impressionist artists Georges Seurat (not included in this exhibition) and Paul Signac (included in this exhibition but not pictured in this post), Pissarro experimented with the technique of placing dots of complementary colours next to each other. Seurat is best known for the Pointillist technique, which is actually so painstaking! Pissarro brought his own take on Pointillism in these scenes of ideal rural life and labour.

City Life and Paris

At this point, we reach the final Gallery 3 of Into the Modern at National Gallery Singapore. Out of the countryside and into the city! This is my favourite section of the exhibition, as we shall see…

Perhaps the ultimate ‘painter of modern life’, to borrow Charles Baudelaire’s words, was Édouard Manet. Although he did not exhibit in the Impressionist Exhibitions, he did his fair share of challenging the artistic status quo. In 1865, he exhibited his scandalous painting Olympia (which somehow managed to get accepted!) at the Salon. The stark image of a nude figure who confronts the viewer in Olympia was modelled by Manet’s favourite model, Victorine Meurent. The exhibition includes a print etching of Olympia. Meurent also appears in Street Singer below.

It’s so interesting to compare a self-portrait with a portrait of the same person… Manet’s portrait of Victorine Meurent and Meurent’s Self-Portrait were painted over a decade apart, and they certainly present different views of the model and artist. In Meurent’s Self-Portrait I find it intriguing how she is almost fully turned to the side, and she appears quite fierce or confrontational here.

Renoir’s Highlight Piece

A highlight of Into the Modern is definitely Renoir’s Dance at Bougival! I can’t believe we get the chance to see this in Singapore, as it supposedly rarely leaves Boston on loan. This is probably the best work by Renoir in my opinion. A couple dances in a café in Bougival, a popular recreation town along the Seine outside Paris. Dancing outdoors in a public setting — isn’t that so modern?

Degas and Cassatt

I was drawn to Degas’ painting because it depicts the ‘simple’ experience of a Visit to a Museum. It’s also the perfect sisterly activity to do, as Degas paints fellow Impressionist artist Mary Cassatt and her sister, Lydia, in the Louvre. Degas and Cassatt were close colleagues and friends, and it’s nice to see artists painting each other in this manner.

Hailing from America, it is a shame though that Cassatt’s works in the MFA Boston collection don’t feature in this exhibition. Mary Cassatt played a huge part not only in contributing to the Impressionists’ output, but she also advised American patrons to buy Impressionist works, especially the Havemeyer family. The original Havemeyer art collection now largely resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as in the Shelburne Museum, which you can read more about here.

In the lecture hosted in conjunction with this exhibition, the eminent art historian Griselda Pollock spoke about Mary Cassatt and how she was a key player among the Impressionists. As Pollock puts it, the Impressionists were the first egalitarian artist group where women could play equal roles as men. I also got to ask Prof. Pollock a question about Degas and Cassatt in relation to Visit to a Museum — which will remain as one of the best moments of my life! As anyone who works on women artists would know, Pollock’s work is highly influential in the field, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask her a question about Cassatt and her appearance in Degas’ painting. :)

Still Life

I really liked seeing this section of the gallery focusing on the Impressionists’ work on still life (paintings of still, inanimate objects). I feel that the individuality and uniqueness of each of the Impressionists’ painting styles come through really well in these still lifes. Also, can you spot Renoir’s signature in the lower right of Mixed Flowers in an Earthenware Pot?

Cézanne’s paintings of fruit in his still life paintings would be the most well-known among them all. Even now, he still astonishes us with an apple…

Immersed in Monet

The exhibition ends with a roomful of Monet’s paintings. How amazing is that! I also love the look of the curved walls in this room (as you can see in the cover picture), as it reminds me of the display of Monet’s Water Lilies at Musée de l’Orangerie (my dream to visit one day!)…

Poppy Field in a Hollow near Giverny is one of my favourites in this selection. Many of these works were created after Monet settled in Giverny in 1883 for the rest of his life.

Of course, don’t miss The Water Lily Pond! This is one in a series where Monet painted a view of the water lily pond in his Giverny gardens, featuring his Japanese-style green bridge — perhaps coloured a little differently in the sunlight in this painting.

I love the delicate pinks and blues that Monet captures in his paintings of Antibes. Antibes Seen from the Plateau Notre-Dame is displayed earlier in the exhibition, as you can see above in this post. I also especially love the detail of the tiny sailboats in Cap d’Antibes, Mistral. I need to see it again — it’s another of my favourites.

When travelling in Antibes, Monet wrote to Alice Hoschedé (who later became Monet’s second wife) in January 1888: ‘I am painting the town of Antibes, a little fortified town all golden in the sun that stands out against beautiful blue and pink mountains and the eternally snow-capped range of the Alps.’ I think Monet perfectly captured the pastel beauty of Antibes as he described.

Be sure to visit Into the Modern at National Gallery Singapore to see all of these beautiful Impressionist works and more! The exhibition is ongoing until 1 March 2026.

A special promotion is also ongoing, where you can get 25% off the exhibition ticket until 1 February 2026. Additionally, present your exhibition tickets to get 10% off Pierre Hermé macarons at the pop-up at Padang Atrium, Level 1, until 31 December 2025. My sister bought those Pierre Hermé macarons, and they’re sooo good!

Overall, I thought Into the Modern was an excellent exhibition. It’s wonderful to see so many people queuing (!) to see it. If you have seen the show, let me know what you think by rating it below!

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The exhibition of Impressions of Monet is such a treat, transporting us to Monet’s Giverny right within the grounds of Gardens by the Bay! When I first learnt about Claude Monet (only in uni), I instantly loved his impressionistic artworks. He remains one of my favourite artists, and I count myself very lucky to have viewed his works across Hong Kong, Singapore and London! Visiting Giverny one day remains on my travel list, but it’s so cool that I get to see a replica of Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny right here in Singapore! I also think this might be my favourite exhibition in Singapore in 2024 so far.

Impressions of Monet: The Garden (Part I)

Around the age of 43, Monet and his family moved to Giverny, settling in a house and accompanying gardens from 1883 till his death in 1926. Over the years, Monet transformed his property into what we know and love today. The paint colours of his home (a gorgeous baby pink and dark green combination) were meant to emulate houses on the French Riviera, and his gardens became known for the water lily ponds which inspired his painting series of the subject made in his later years.

Gardens by the Bay in Singapore has rotating flower displays every year (sakura or cherry blossoms, tulips, and roses are the key highlights). I loved that they did something new this time around by centring the floral display on Monet’s gardens in Giverny.

The exhibition Impressions of Monet consists of two parts: Impressions of Monet: The Garden and Impressions of Monet: The Experience. There is much to see here!

I loved seeing the flowers in this show, which are different from the usual lineup at Gardens by the Bay. Closely aligned to the theme, the flowers included here were also the ones that Monet planted in his original gardens.

Painting En Plein Air

Monet was one of the French painters who made up the art movement of Impressionism. Monet was especially known for his obsession in chasing after light effects in nature. This involved taking his easel, canvas, paintbrushes, palette, and painting toolbox out and about to paint outdoors. Or in French, to paint en plein air. This also meant to paint quickly, resulting in the kind of short, rapid brushstrokes that define Impressionist paintings.

Here, a bronze sculpture of Monet shows him painting within the gardens! I also loved that he’s seen in the act of painting Monet’s Garden at Giverny (1895). Fitting choice!

Inside Monet’s House

There are other interactive elements among the garden, like stepping inside Monet’s house and seeing the interiors!

Monet took inspiration from Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints from the Edo period, and some reproductions are included within the house too. To see more, check out my post on Life in Edo!

A spectacular setup of Monet’s Giverny maison et jardins is the highlight of Impressions of Monet: The Garden!

Flowers and Paintings

You may have noticed that most of the ‘artworks’ included within Impressions of Monet: The Garden were actually repainted copies. (Possibly due to copyright restrictions?) Monet has such a wide oeurve, and I loved having the chance to learn about some of his works that I didn’t know of before! The exhibition didn’t provide any ‘captions’, so I had to find out what these artworks are for myself!

Woman with a Parasol is one of my absolute favourites by Monet, and it’s nicely included here!

I especially loved seeing these sunflower-looking flowers — they remind me of my convocation earlier in July! Plus, they look a lot like the flowers in The Artist’s Garden at Vétheuil above! The last ‘artwork’ nestled among these yellow flowers is a repainted copy of Meadow with Poplars, about 1875, in the collection of MFA Boston. A repainted copy of a very similar composition, Poppy Fields near Argenteuil (1875) at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also appears among an earlier section of these yellow flowers (see photo at the beginning of this post).

Water Lilies in Monet’s Giverny

It took me time to understand my water lilies. I had planted them for the pleasure of it; I grew them without ever thinking of painting them. – Claude Monet

It was wonderful to see a few water lily ponds (bassin aux nymphéas) throughout the exhibition. It was also the water lilies’ debut at Gardens by the Bay, appearing in a floral display for the first time! We also got to see Monet’s Japanese-inspired green bridges (usually painted in red in Japanese culture), like the ones that he built in Giverny.

Impressions of Monet: The Experience (Part II)

I thought Impressions of Monet: The Garden was wonderful on its own, but there’s even more to see with Impressions of Monet: The Experience! The second part is like what you might expect from an immersive experience: it begins with various information panels on the artists of the Impressionist movement, includes a few reproductions of Monet’s paintings, and has many photo spots and digital elements!

I thought this rather abstract version of Monet’s Nymphéas was fascinating! I’ve never seen anything like it before — it’s in a private collection.

Monet: The Immersive Experience

The major highlight is the immersive experience itself! Produced by Grande Experiences (Australia), the digital experience shows the progression of the Impressionist movement, set to a classical music soundtrack. There was also a fragrance element, with a specially developed scent diffused through the gallery — but to be honest, I didn’t catch it!

My favourite part might be the opening section where the dramatic music shows some of the artistic styles and artworks that preceded the Impressionism movement. For example, I spy Jacques-Louis David (neoclassicism), Eugène Delacroix (romanticism), and Gustave Courbet (realism). Then bam! The music rises to indicate the Impressionists arriving on the scene.

One of my other absolute favourites of Monet’s is his Houses of Parliament series (1899–1904) made in London. I was so happy to see a 1904 version in Hong Kong back in 2016! Monet’s Houses of Parliament painting series is also going to be a subject of the exhibition Monet and London. Views of the Thames at The Courtauld Gallery in London opening soon this month — really wished I could be there!

I liked that the immersive experience also included artworks by the other Impressionist artists! I just wished that the artwork titles were included within the immersive experience too. Above is an expanded view of Paul Cézanne’s The Montagne Sainte-Victoire with a Large Pine (around 1887) at The Courtauld.

An expanded view of Monet’s La Pie (The Magpie) (1868-69) which was last in Singapore at National Gallery Singapore in 2017!

Gift Shop

The final touch of Impressions of Monet: The Experience is, of course, the gift shop! I ended up going home with a high-quality mug with a design of Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son (1875) and Woman with a Parasol, Facing Left (1886) photoshopped together.

Overall, I thought Impressions of Monet was excellently done, and I had the best time exploring Monet’s iconic house in Giverny — but in Gardens by the Bay in Singapore! I really think Gardens by the Bay has outdone themselves. Impressions of Monet: The Garden at Gardens by the Bay, with a touch of Giverny, is showing until 17th September 2024. Impressions of Monet: The Experience is showing until 18th February 2025.

Next up in Singapore, I’m looking forward to the immersive experience of Monet Inside (from Seoul, Korea) opening in October. Would the immersive experience be even more epic? Well, I’ll take any reason to see more Monet — whether physically or digitally!

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So you can most probably tell how excited I was to see it, and what made it even better was that I got to see a preview of it before it opened, and I could take all the photos I wanted without the swarms of people that I’m sure the Gallery is seeing right now.

With a popular theme like Impressionism (although what could beat Yayoi Kusama’s polka dotted works in popularity?), I feel like this exhibition is easily appealable to many people, though I have a few misgivings about the way the artworks were grouped by… colour.

| Cover Picture: Claude Monet, Champs de tulipes en Hollande (Tulip Field in Holland), 1886, oil on canvas |

Gustave Courbet, Branche de pommier en fleurs (Apple Branch in Flower), 1872, oil on canvas

James Tissot, La Rêveuse (The Dreamer), c. 1876, oil on wood

I guess the title of this exhibition pretty much gives it away, since it is simply named Colours of Impressionism. Along with Between Worlds, comprising works by Indonesian artist Raden Saleh and Filipino artist Juan Luna, the two exhibitions are combined under the title of Century of Light, which would be running until 11 March 2018. Just a note: This post only covers Colours of Impressionism.

Eugène Boudin, La Plage de Trouville (The Beach at Trouville), 1865, oil on board

The exhibition opens with paintings featuring a lot of black, before moving on to whites, mainly in snowy landscapes. I gripe about curating according to colour because it seems to simplify all of the artworks into “looking pretty”. While there isn’t any problem with appreciating artworks purely for their aesthetic, it’s sad if the stories and changes surrounding Impressionism itself is overlooked along the way.

Impressionism, as exemplified by name-stays Monet and Renoir, was part of the beginnings of what was considered Modern in art. Starting from subject matter, these artists started painting their surroundings like the serene landscapes that is heavily featured in this exhibition, and scenes of middle-class people who were starting to spend more time out and about, such as in Boudin’s La Plage de Trouville shown above.

Claude Monet, Argenteuil, 1872, oil on canvas

Triptyque May (The May Triptych): Camille Pissarro, Entrée du village de Voisins (Entry to the village of Voisins), 1872, oil on canvas; Claude Monet, Bateaux de plaisance (Pleasure Boats), 1872-73, oil on canvas; Alfred Sisley, L’Île Saint-Denis (Saint-Denis Island), 1872, oil on canvas

I love how these three paintings are put together, which I’m assuming was purposely done so for this exhibition?

To capture these scenes of the outdoors as best as they could, Impressionists went out to paint en plein air (translated literally in the outdoors), which at the time was a very new approach to painting. Artists often prepared studies of artworks they were going to create, so painting was very much centred within the artist’s studio. Impressionists began to break the mold by going outdoors to paint what they saw best represented their times and their society.

Alfred Sisley, La Barque pendant l’inondation, Port-Marly (Boat in the Flood at Port-Marly), 1876, oil on canvas

Berthe Morisot, Le Berceau (The Cradle), 1872, oil on canvas

Morisot, one of probably two female artists active at the time, is famous for her paintings of mothers with children. This painting is very famous and I remember my professor pointing out the clever layering of white on white with the veil. I was super excited to finally see a painting that I learnt about in class in real life, though there are others later in this post (and in the exhibition) that were even better experiences for me.

Paul Gauguin, La Seine au pont d’léna. Temps de neige (The Seine at Pont d’léna, Snowy Weather), 1875, oil on canvas

An early work of Gauguin’s, who was best known for his “exotic”, “primitive” artworks that he did on trips to Tahiti. While those works are entirely different from these Impressionist works, this one fits in with the rest of the white, snowy images.

Claude Monet, La Pie (The Magpie), 1868-69, oil on canvas

Alfred Sisley, La Neige à Louveciennes (Snow at Louveciennes), 1878, oil on canvas

Renoir’s paint box and Degas’s palettes

Claude Monet, Les Barques. Régates à Argenteuil (The Boats: Regattas at Argenteuil), c. 1874, oil on canvas

Moving on to the next gallery, and the next colour scheme of darker tones, which is pretty evident in all the paintings grouped together here.

Claude Monet, Un Coin d’appartement (A Corner of the Apartment), 1875, oil on canvas

One of my absolute favourites in this exhibition! This has to be seen in real life – the colours really pop, and the effect of the angled floor tiles doesn’t get captured well enough in a photo.

The boy in the centre of the painting is Jean Monet, Claude Monet’s son, and at the back of the space is Camille Doncieux, Monet’s first wife and Jean’s mother. I wrote an essay on Monet’s paintings of his family about two years back, and this painting came up during my research. Most of Monet’s paintings of his family involved Camille and Jean, not so much for his family after he married his second wife Alice Hoschedé after Camille’s death. A lot of the time, Camille and Jean are seen from a distance, positioned at the recesses of the space of the painting, and surrounded by plants and flowers which was clearly a passion of Monet’s.

Some people/scholars argued that Monet used his family as props for paintings that were chiefly about plants and flowers. I also read one argument that said that Camille and Jean were often portrayed as expressionless because they were tired of modelling and waiting for Monet to be done painting them. Plausible?

While I can’t say it’s entirely out of question, I disagree on the perceived apathy on Monet’s part. My official reasoning is that the association of Monet’s beloved plants and flowers with the careful placement and posing of his family within it would have meant at least some affection on his part.

The unofficial reasoning is that Monet painted scenes of nature without human figures within them perfectly fine – see: all of his Giverny works, including one below, although these were done in his later mature years – and another reason being that his paintings of the Hoschedés were frankly not as good.

Gustave Caillebotte, Voiliers à Argenteuil (Sailboats in Argenteuil), c. 1888, oil on canvas

Paul Cézanne, Cour d’une ferme (Courtyard of a Farm), c. 1879, oil on canvas

Paul Cézanne, Le Golfe de Marseille vu de L’Estaque (The Gulf of Marseilles Seen from L’Estaque), 1878-79, oil on canvas

I loved seeing Cézanne here as well and I realized how much more striking his paintings are in real life. Although he was a fellow contemporary alongside the Impressionists, his works are today considered part of Post-Impressionism as he had already began looking further ahead of the Impressionists in terms of composition, shapes and so on. I definitely want to see more of Cézanne in future!

Auguste Renoir, Pont du chemin de fer à Chatou (Railway Bridge at Chatou), 1881, oil on canvas

Claude Monet, Le Bassin aux nymphéas, harmonie rose (Water Lily Pond, Pink Harmony), 1900, oil on canvas

The all-important Giverny painting of this exhibition. Monet lived in Giverny in the later years of his life, and his famous garden is still maintained and open to visitors!

Paul Signac, La Bouée rouge (The Red Buoy), 1895, oil on canvas

The next section was dedicated to Pointillist works, also considered part of Post-Impressionism. Based on colour theories of the time, Seurat invented this method of painting by having dots of complementary colour placed next to each other, and when extended across the entire canvas, would supposedly blend together in the viewer’s eye and achieve greater luminosity.

Georges Seurat, Etude pour “Une Baignade à Asnières” (Study for “Bathers at Asnières”), 1883, oil on wood; Etude pour “Un Dimanche à la Grande Jatte” (Study for “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte”), 1884 and 1884-86, oil on wood

I was quite surprised to see that the Pointillist works included in the exhibition weren’t as good as I expected them to be in real life! The dots in Signac’s painting above felt too separated to me, which took away from the scene that he was trying to depict. Though this makes me more curious to see how Seurat’s works appear in real life, since he was after all the inventor of Pointillism and his dots/points appear much subtler even in digital images.

Paul Cézanne, Rochers près des grottes au-dessus du Château-Noir (Rocks Near the Cave above Château Noir), c. 1904, oil on canvas

Claude Monet, La Cathédrale de Rouen. Le portail et la tour Saint-Romain, plein soleil (Rouen Cathedral: The Portal and Saint-Romain Tower, Full Sunlight), 1893, oil on canvas

I’m constantly surprised by the difference between looking at digital images of paintings and seeing them in real life. Sometimes, like with Morisot’s The Cradle, it still feels familiar, meaning that digital images captures it well, but in other cases, like with Cézanne, the Pointillist works, and this one painting in Monet’s Rouen Cathedral series, a photograph of the painting is incomparable to how it is in real life. Some things just have to be seen for yourself. And re-seen!

Berthe Morisot, L’Hortensia (The Hydrangea), 1894, oil on canvas

Claude Monet, Vétheuil, soleil couchant (Vétheuil, Setting Sun), c. 1900, oil on canvas

I like the pastel colours of this painting, but I don’t think it’s that good a painting of Monet’s. If this exhibition is all about colour, then I’ll say that I don’t think colour best determines the effectiveness or quality of a painting.

Going back to the question of curating by colour: While the art world brings up a lot of talk about having more experimental methods of curating, and displacing chronological ways of presenting artworks, is curating artworks according to colour really such a good idea? Whatever overall theme that paintings within an exhibition might be fitted into, I personally think it’s important that I can understand how each exhibit fit within its time and colour doesn’t contribute much to that.

But one thing I really liked about the exhibition was the colours of the walls! That might sound pretty funny, but making an exhibition also involves deciding what colour walls would best display the paintings on show.

Loved the blue walls for Between Worlds!

Colours of Impressionism is showing at National Gallery Singapore until 11 March 2018, ticket prices and more information can be found here.

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I went to look it up and it’s Don McLean’s classic Vincent from 1971. An oldie, but still a goodie! Lyrics are below. :)

Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and gray
Look out on a summer’s day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul

Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land

Now, I understand, what you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they’ll listen now

Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue

Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand

Now, I understand, what you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they’ll listen now

For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left inside
On that starry, starry night

You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you, Vincent
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you

Starry, starry night
Portraits hung in empty halls
Frame-less heads on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can’t forget

Like the strangers that you’ve met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow

Now, I think I know what you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they’re not listening still
Perhaps they never will

Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889

Of course, that refrain brings to mind van Gogh’s classic painting The Starry Night. I’ve always loved the big swirly background that I feel is so atmospheric and really pulls you into the picture. This painting could arguably be van Gogh’s most well-known work, especially coupled with the familiar song and all.

To back up a bit, van Gogh (1853-1890) was a Dutchman who moved to Paris, and later the South of France, where he settled into his artistic style and produced his greatest works. In his short life and career, he only fully developed his style in the later years of his life starting from about 1888 till his death in 1890. That style so familiar to many of us is characterized by bright color, strong outlines and broken brushstrokes. While he might not have had the best technical skill, he produced a wealth of artworks, including figure painting/sketches, portraits, landscapes, and still life.

Vincent van Gogh, Red Poppies and Daisies, 1890

Just earlier this month, there was a Poppies and Daisies painting by van Gogh on show at Poly Gallery, another painting in van Gogh’s series of paintings of poppies and daisies. Viewing a van Gogh (and Picasso) was of course a delight! Photographic reproduction is of great quality these days, but nothing can beat viewing an artwork in real life. I don’t think I realized it while viewing it at the time, but I found van Gogh’s flowers very natural. His painting simply looked effortlessly done.

When looking at photographs of his artworks though, it’s easy to see that van Gogh wasn’t exactly going for a highly naturalistic effect in his paintings. Colors are darker or brighter than expected, and work to heighten the intensity of the picture. If we were to translate the colors from his paintings to real life, it would be highly unnaturalistic.

Vincent van Gogh, Sower, 1888

Add to that his exaggeration of certain shapes and forms like the giant yellow sun in Sower, or the swirling stars/clouds in The Starry Night. Since van Gogh was clearly not aiming to paint in the likeness of reality, his works have been interpreted as having religious or spiritual connotations (e.g. Sower) or containing metaphors about life and death (e.g. The Starry Night).

Don McLean’s lyrics doesn’t stray much from the general perception of van Gogh – the tortured artist who created such great artworks in his genius insanity and creativity, but eventually committed suicide. It’s a beautiful song, and captures the way van Gogh is shrouded in mystery and tragedy.

Vincent van Gogh, Wheatfield with Cypress Tree, 1888

I generally agree with the above-mentioned view of van Gogh, but I’m not convinced by the religious argument (although van Gogh’s father was in fact a preacher). I do find other interpretations of van Gogh’s contemplations of life and death interesting. Not so much an indication of his eventual suicide, but personal reflections on life.

There’s always a melodramatic angle in reading van Gogh’s works, but don’t you think that van Gogh’s works are smoothing in a way? There’s a sadness about his works, I think, but there’s also a calmness to it that makes me stop and think.

While covering van Gogh in class, I got the chance to discover van Gogh’s letters to his younger brother, Theo van Gogh, an art dealer and big supporter of Vincent’s works. (Students of art history are such snoops reading artists’ old letters. ;D) In Vincent’s letters, he seems to me very earnest and focused on his work, mostly writing about his working process or describing some of his works that he’d painted to his brother. He definitely didn’t sound like a crazy man, but again, I suppose these things are hard to say.

Vincent van Gogh, The Night Café, 1888

Albert Aurier, an art critic and supporter of the growing Symbolist movement at the time, tried to count van Gogh in as a Symbolist artist by writing that his works were in line with Symbolist Ideas and the abstract, etc. Van Gogh however rejected this idea of his being a Symbolist, and resolutely placed himself as an artist who was just doing his own thing. Which I find pretty awesome. :D

Van Gogh is hence categorized within the Post-Impressionists, a rough grouping of artists who became influential after the wave of Impressionism had passed. They include Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, Georges Seurat and more, all of whom had an individual style to their work.

Vincent van Gogh, Café Terrace, Place du Forum, Arles / Café Terrace at Night, 1888

I’d always known van Gogh’s famous works and this familiar song, but learning about his works and his background made his works so much more fascinating to me. Van Gogh was really one of a kind, and it’s nice to be able to look upon his work and think about what he’d wanted to achieve through them.

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