Chapter 4: Vincent van Gogh

Vincent Van Goghs painting, "The Potato Eaters"

In Vincent Van Gogh`s artwork, he demonstrates several different types of line, such as, straight lines, curvy lines, wide and narorow lines. In 1873, Vincent  was sent to the London branch and fell unsuccessfully in love with the daughter of the landlady. This was the first of several disastrous attempts to find happiness with a woman, and his unrequited passion affected him so badly that he was dismissed from his job. Over time, Vincent Van Gogh produced more than 900 paintings and over 1100 drawings during a period of only 10 years, before he succumbed to mental illness, possibly bipolar disorder, Vincent Vang Gogh committed suicide. Alot of his paintings were highly expressive, painted in dark color representing his emotions. His artwork also reproducted visual appearances and light. He used colors such as orange and yellow to symbolize light in his paintings. One of my favorites, as well as Gogh`s favorite paintings is "The Potato Eaters". The painting was made in 1885, and was his first attempt to produce a masterwork which would establish his reputation. Having barely mastered the art of painting, the task he set himself was way beyond his reach. Portraying five figures and making them look natural is almost impossible for an unpracticed hand or new beginner. Vincent van Gogh achieved the effects of light by casting an oil lamp, which made the project even more difficult. His use of color was no less ambitious, for he wanted to make the gloomy interior as brightly as possible. Van Gogh uses a variety of expressions, through line, light, space, and emotions.