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Saturday, 6 April 2019

Artlyst - Van Gogh’s Religious Journey Around London

My latest feature article for Artlyst, written in the light of The EY Exhibition: Van Gogh and Britain at Tate Britain, takes Van Gogh’s religious journey around London as the starting point for exploring the way in which the religious convictions which were nurtured in Van Gogh through his time in Britain may have then inspired his art:

'At Eternity’s Gate: The Spiritual Vision of Vincent van Gogh sees Kathleen Powers Erickson tracing Van Gogh’s pilgrimage of faith, from his early religious training, through his evangelical missionary period, to his struggle with religion and modern thought, and finally to the synthesis of traditional Christian beliefs with the modern world-view that Erickson contends he achieved in both his life and his art.

This synthesis extends from his first major work, The Potato Eaters, where he ‘attempted to suggest the divine presence symbolically … through his subtle allusion to the celebration of the Eucharist.’ His continuing preoccupation ‘with the symbols and subjects that first came to him through the parables and sayings of Jesus is apparent in his many renditions of sowers, reapers, and wheatfields.’ He explored new ways to represent the presence of Christ often ‘depicting him as a glowing light or a blazing sun’ and using the colour yellow to imply a divine presence. During his illness and confinement in St. Rémy it was ‘religion that often dictated his choice of subjects, such as the Pietà, the Good Samaritan, and the resurrected Lazarus.’ ‘Finally, Van Gogh’s continued belief in an afterlife informed the symbolism of his later works, such as Starry Night, Crows over the Wheatfield, and At Eternity’s Gate.’

My other Artlyst articles and interviews are:
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Don McLean - Vincent.

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