Posted on: Tue, 01/07/2008 - 22:07
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Why fully clothed figures in Vincent's landscapes?
Here's a question I've often puzzled over, and I don't know the answer, maybe nobody does. Why are the figures in Vincent's landscape paintings dressed from top to toe? Is that the way people typically dressed in the landscapes Vincent painted? Was the weather particularly cold? Did he admire and want to paint the traditional dress of the inhabitants of his landscapes? Maybe he found garments easier and quicker to paint than bare skin. Or maybe he was not comfortable painting bare skin.
Does anyone have an explanation for this aspect of Vincent's paintings? Does anyone know of any Vincent landscape paintings where the figures are scantily clad?
I think it was quite normal to be dressed that way. While being on the land, it's safer to protect yourself with all those clothes!
Hi Bluesky and Suzanne!
Interesting question about the clothing. I have never thought of it before that Van Gogh always painted people with clothing. What I do know is that Vincent prefered to paint things as they truly are. This in stead of Gauguin who painted out of memory or fantasy. So I believe that Vincent painted the people how he saw them, with clothing. It seems that he felt indeed not comfortable painting bare skin, comparing to other artists who used nude models.
Still, we haven't found the answer.. Is there somebody else who has another opinion about Vincent not painting nudity? Why he prefered to paint models/people whith clothes on from to to toe? Let us know!
-Rianne
It looks like that was the fashion in those days:
http://www.costumegallery.com/1889/Godey/
- Joanne
Hi Joanne,
That's a fun idea! Times have changed! The women were wearing those dresses on the land, they were working in the dutch kley and mud in long skirts. I can't imagine doing something like that nowadays.
I took a look on the net myself and I found this site:
http://www.lahacal.org/gentleman/informal.html
The informal farmers clothing looks quite like the clothes Vincent's farmers are wearing. The big hat to protect your face from the sun, the long sleeves. The site I found is American, so I don't know about the fashion ins and outs in Europe at that time. I was also thinking about the seasons in which all seperate paintings were made. I can imagine that the freezing cold winters in Holland asked for warm trousers and jackets. But the hot summers in France would aks for short sleeves and bare legs. But harvesting with bare legs doesn't sound that comforable, does it?
Hi Joanne, thanks for the link, I like the dresses. And Renske, about the link you've found: very dark times. If I would live in that period, I might have been depressive as well.
26th July 2008
RE: No Nudity with Vincent...
Dear Forum,
Vincent was not just "Fearful" of Nudity... He abhorred the Use of it as it "ridiculed God's Work".....
He therefore Insisted that all his Subjects were Fully-clothed...
Regards,
Le Blob
Laters....
Hi Seth!
Interesting thought! How did you come up with this thought? Did you read it anywhere?
Someone's told me that Van Gogh did indeed paint some nude models but I haven't seen such work yet. He did paint nude models in order to understand the human body and to develop his painting skills..
- Rianne
28th July 2008
RE: Vincent and No Nudity...
Dear Forum,
Probably about 1984-85... The "Awesome" Whitgift School for Boys..
Vincent Van-Gogh viewed Nudity as an "Insult to God's Designs!"
There were quite a "few" of such "moments"...
Still... I Was pleased to be at about the Best School Anywhere nearby for the Torture...
Regards,
SBGB
Laters..
I hate to deflate anybody's ego and their assumptions of the ways Vincent van Gogh had painted people into his land scape paintings. Vincent loved nature, and to him, there were always places with in his works of art to where he could add these little happenings, that is if they happened to be on this artist's mind. The ones that are there and can be seen with a purpose, such as loading a hay cart or what ever, were always fully clothed,.... and usually painted with as few as paint strokes as one can imagine.
Cheers!
vanrijngo