Royal Academy of Art – The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters (January 23 – April 18 2010)
5 out of 5
The Real Van Gogh show is certainly the Hollywood blockbuster of this spring’s exhibitions in London. What the real surprise is, however, is just how good of a show it really is. Van Gogh is one of the artists whose work suffers badly from overexposure. But despite this, the real surprise of the exhibition is its power to still amaze. Each work is beautifully set in an atmosphere of deep colour walls that enhance the intensity of the paintings’ colours.
Thankfully, the exhibition doesn’t include some of the most overexposed images, as those are reserved for his museum in Amsterdam, and instead includes some equally as stunning but less known paintings. Their colours are stunning. The exhibition includes some fascinating letters that Van Gogh wrote to his brother, amongst others, which reveal his own insecurity about his talent and the direction of his work. What’s most interesting about the exhibition is that it incorporates Van Gogh’s early works, when he had decided that he wanted to be an artist but hadn’t quite found his voice. These first paintings are well executed but of average inspiration – they could be easily mistaken for ones done by any number of other artists. Yet the context of that early work really makes the viewer appreciate the uniqueness of Van Gogh’s latter paintings. We feel privileged to see the early steps of an artist and his evolution from pupil to master.
The letters and drawings that accompany his paintings add a nice element. Overall, the Royal Academy of Arts has presented another excellent show in a long-line of wonderful exhibitions. The only drawback is the inevitable crowds that such a high-quality show draws. Try to go early or on a weekday to retain some of the intimacy and awe of the work.
The Real Van Gogh show is certainly the Hollywood blockbuster of this spring’s exhibitions in London. What the real surprise is, however, is just how good of a show it really is. Van Gogh is one of the artists whose work suffers badly from overexposure. But despite this, the real surprise of the exhibition is its power to still amaze. Each work is beautifully set in an atmosphere of deep colour walls that enhance the intensity of the paintings’ colours.
Thankfully, the exhibition doesn’t include some of the most overexposed images, as those are reserved for his museum in Amsterdam, and instead includes some equally as stunning but less known paintings. Their colours are stunning. The exhibition includes some fascinating letters that Van Gogh wrote to his brother, amongst others, which reveal his own insecurity about his talent and the direction of his work. What’s most interesting about the exhibition is that it incorporates Van Gogh’s early works, when he had decided that he wanted to be an artist but hadn’t quite found his voice. These first paintings are well executed but of average inspiration – they could be easily mistaken for ones done by any number of other artists. Yet the context of that early work really makes the viewer appreciate the uniqueness of Van Gogh’s latter paintings. We feel privileged to see the early steps of an artist and his evolution from pupil to master.
The letters and drawings that accompany his paintings add a nice element. Overall, the Royal Academy of Arts has presented another excellent show in a long-line of wonderful exhibitions. The only drawback is the inevitable crowds that such a high-quality show draws. Try to go early or on a weekday to retain some of the intimacy and awe of the work.
No comments:
Post a Comment