Read on Twitter
DreamRoomThis pair of DreamRooms depict Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin during their time living together in the Yellow House in Arles.
A tempestuous period of 63 days, that would forever change both artists lives.
Let me tell you about it.
Van Gogh, had moved to the town of Arles in 1888, a quiet town in the South of France, where he felt he could find some peace and ultimately set up an artists commune.
Key to this, was inviting other artists to help him with his bold plan.
Key to this, was inviting other artists to help him with his bold plan.
The first artist he targeted, was the one he admired the most, Paul Gauguin.
He sent letter after letter to Gauguin, attempting to pursued him to come and stay. What ultimately pushed Gauguin into accepting, was the generous allowance that Van Gogh's brother offered to pay him.
He sent letter after letter to Gauguin, attempting to pursued him to come and stay. What ultimately pushed Gauguin into accepting, was the generous allowance that Van Gogh's brother offered to pay him.
Theo Van Gogh, was an important art dealer in Paris, an advocate of artists such as Monet and Degas and had originally introduced his brother to Gauguin.
Theo regularly provided financial support to his brother, who had little interest in earning money through his art.
Theo regularly provided financial support to his brother, who had little interest in earning money through his art.
When Van Gogh received word that Gauguin had finally accepted, he was overjoyed and set about preparing the house.
He redecorated his own room and his guests, which adjoined it, with new matching beds and painted walls.
Most notably though, he began painting.
He redecorated his own room and his guests, which adjoined it, with new matching beds and painted walls.
Most notably though, he began painting.
Van Gogh painted a dozen, vivid works of sunflowers that he framed by hand and hung in Gauguin's room.
Vincent had been interested in sunflowers for a long time, but in Arles, with it's huge fields of the flowers, his interest had become an obsession.
Vincent had been interested in sunflowers for a long time, but in Arles, with it's huge fields of the flowers, his interest had become an obsession.
With Gauguin's bedroom freshly painted with violet walls and then layered with bright yellow sunflowers, he was ready to receive his guest.
He carried a simple portrait of Gauguin everywhere with him and excitedly showed it to all, explaining that the great artist was coming.
He carried a simple portrait of Gauguin everywhere with him and excitedly showed it to all, explaining that the great artist was coming.
Now, the main reason Gauguin accepted Van Gogh's invitation, wasn't because he liked Vincent, in fact, he was quite wary of him.
And it wasn't because he believed in Van Gogh's vision of an artists utopia in Arles.
He had already found his utopia and wanted to return.
And it wasn't because he believed in Van Gogh's vision of an artists utopia in Arles.
He had already found his utopia and wanted to return.
Gauguin longed to journey to the Caribbean again as he had the previous year and needed the funds to get there.
While Van Gogh's mind was falling into fields of sunflowers in provincial France, Gauguin dreamt of Caribbean islands.
A time bomb was ticking.
While Van Gogh's mind was falling into fields of sunflowers in provincial France, Gauguin dreamt of Caribbean islands.
A time bomb was ticking.
So when Gauguin finally arrived to an overly excited Van Gogh, he was simultaneously over and under whelmed.
His initial assessment of Arles was that it was 'The dirtiest hole in the South'. And his reaction upon entering his bedroom, was to remove the dozen sunflower paintings.
His initial assessment of Arles was that it was 'The dirtiest hole in the South'. And his reaction upon entering his bedroom, was to remove the dozen sunflower paintings.
The two artists working styles and philosophies were at odds with one another.
Gauguin was methodical, organised, money driven and believed that paintings should be made from life.
Gauguin was methodical, organised, money driven and believed that paintings should be made from life.
Van Gogh was spontaneous, disorganised, loathed money in art and believed that works should be fueled by the imagination.
Their time was spent at bars, at brothels, arguing, drinking, painting, arguing, painting, more brothels, more bars more painting.
Their time was spent at bars, at brothels, arguing, drinking, painting, arguing, painting, more brothels, more bars more painting.
It reached breaking point, when one night at a bar, Van Gogh threw a glass at Gauguin's head. It missed, but Gauguin made the decision then that he would leave and return to Paris.
This set off the final chain of events, where by Vincent would unsuccessfully attack Gauguin in the street with a razor blade, before skulking back home to cut off his own ear.
By all accounts, he made a bloody mess of the job, hitting an artery and almost bleeding to death. Using all the rags and cloths in the house to stem the bleeding, before stumbling in to town and presenting it to his favourite maid who worked at the brothel, Gabrielle Berlatier.
Gauguin left, and while the two of them never saw one another again in person, they remained in contact, writing letters until Van Gogh's death only two years later.
It's amazing to imagine the pressure cooker situation that occurred between these two individuals and the small town they were in. It's an historic event that's ripe for adaptation, and has been explored numerous times in different mediums.
The gaps in the historical record that exist, provide fertile ground for speculation as well. Was it actually Gauguin, an avid fencer, who cut of Van Gogh's ear and the two conspired to cover it up?
Did Van Gogh shoot himself? Or was he attacked by a gang of teens?
Did Van Gogh shoot himself? Or was he attacked by a gang of teens?
Did Gauguin and Van Gogh fall out over a woman, or was there an unrequited love between them?
We'll likely never know the answers to these mysteries, which only makes the story that much more interesting.
We'll likely never know the answers to these mysteries, which only makes the story that much more interesting.
If anyone is interested in finding out more, I highly recommend 'Vincent van Gogh: The Full Story' by
Waldemar Januszczak. He always makes art history dynamic, humanist and relatable while flipping lots of our preconceived ideas on their head.
Waldemar Januszczak. He always makes art history dynamic, humanist and relatable while flipping lots of our preconceived ideas on their head.
Here are some of the paintings that Van Gogh made, that I used as visual reference for their bedrooms.
Van Gogh painted and drew his bedroom numerous times. No works exist of Gauguin's bedroom, but letters record that they were decorated and furnished in similar fashions.
Van Gogh painted and drew his bedroom numerous times. No works exist of Gauguin's bedroom, but letters record that they were decorated and furnished in similar fashions.
The rooms shared a door, and Gauguin's was slightly smaller. (A choice, that I'm sure he noticed.)
Unfortunately, the Yellow House was destroyed during an Allied forces aerial bombing. In this painting, the corner building is theirs, with the top two windows being their rooms.
Unfortunately, the Yellow House was destroyed during an Allied forces aerial bombing. In this painting, the corner building is theirs, with the top two windows being their rooms.
This is a portrait of Gauguin by Van Gogh. Gauguin was a notorious womaniser (and paedophile), while Van Gogh failed to ever establish any meaningful relationships. A fact that surely grated on him.
The other two paintings, are by Van Gogh and are of his and Gauguin's chairs.
The other two paintings, are by Van Gogh and are of his and Gauguin's chairs.
