Two weeks ago Vincent van Gogh died 118-years ago.. What happened after his death?
What happened to the letters he wrote? What about his paintings? How
did Van Gogh get famous all over the world? And what is Vincent’s
influence on modern art?
Episode 3: Van Gogh’s Influence on modern art
Vincent van Gogh was a painter with a unique and innovative style that initially was misunderstood by his fellow artists and the public. But more than a century after his death, he has become a legend, surrounded by myths. These myths often overshadow Vincent’s place in the development of modern art.
Van Gogh’s work had a great influence on the work of a later generation of artists. But what exactly was his influence on modern art? Thick books have been written about it, and a lot of art historians have done research on this subject.
Not only painters get their inspiration from Van Gogh’s art, his work is a source of inspiration for all sorts of artists. Van Gogh’s influence is everywhere!
Inspiring the modern artists
The impact of Van Gogh’s art had already started when he passed away in 1890. Young artists in Paris had already begun to acknowledge that within a short span of four years, the artist from the Netherlands had helped to revolutionize and change the future of modern art. The Avant-Garde artists in Paris praised his work and in 1890 the writer Albert Aurier proclaimed Van Gogh’s genius in a review.
The influence of his innovative work can be found in the expressionism, fauvism, early abstract paintings and many other twentieth century art styles.
During the final years of the 19th century Vincent van Gogh became an important example for the expressionists in Europe. They adapted his use of pure, bright colors, his contrasting color combinations and the style of his brushwork. The German Expressionists, especially the Die Brucke group, considered themselves the heirs to van Gogh, whom they esteemed the premier genius of modern art.
Artists like Kirchner and Pechstein were fascinated by his contrasting color combinations en brushwork. Van Gogh’s psychological portraits inspired Klimt, Schiele and Kokoschka in their expressive paintings. His innovative decorative qualities and organic lines paralleled the fin de siècle Art Nouveau style in Europe.
Next to the experimental art from the expressionists, the art of the Fauves movement, including artists like Matisse, Vlaminck and Derain, is unthinkable without Van Gogh. These painters all gave a new impulse to the fast painting technique movement that was started by the impressionists.
Even Picasso was influenced by Van Gogh’s work; his pre-Cubist works show that Picasso had knowledge of Van Gogh’s paintings. Also Miro got inspiration from Vincent’s works and his influence reappeared after World War II in the Abstract Expressionism and Neo-Expressionists.
Van Gogh’s influence on today’s culture
Vincent not only inspires artists with his works, his life story and special characteristics are a thankful subject in modern art.
The world famous rapper Tupac Shakur wrote the poem "Starry Night," as a dedication to van Gogh and his work. Woody Allen wrote a parody of Vincent's letters to his brother Theo. The short story If the Impressionists Had Been Dentists is included in Allen's book Without Feathers.
Classical composers told Van Gogh’s life story in Opera’s and musical compositions. In 1971, singer Don McLean wrote the ballad Vincent in honor of Van Gogh; also known by its opening words, "Starry Starry Night," the song refers to the painting The Starry Night. Bob Dylan wrote an unreleased, but widely bootlegged, song called "Vincent Van Gogh." A Spanish group is named La Oreja de Van Gogh ("Van Gogh's Ear").
Several Directors have told the life story of Van Gogh on the big screen. (Click here for an overview of movies about Van Gogh). Kirk Douglas, Michael Gough, Martin Scorsese, Tim Roth and Jacques Dutronc played Vincent’s role in these movies.
It’s clear, one shouldn’t even try to create a complete overview of the influence Van Gogh had on modern art. His influence is everywhere and it seems that the end isn’t near.
Related articles you might like:
Van Gogh's letters: his life in words
Places where Van Gogh has lived and painted during his life
