With a quick glance Van Gogh’s pieces appear to be just sloppy strokes of color
that form an image, but are they really only that? Many know one of his most
prominent paintings, The Starry night yet not all that know the painting can
place his name to it. This although sad is one of the features that make Van
Gogh art more than just art by some guy with a cool name. His works are elegant
in their own respect. For example the way he often left his strokes unblended
and robust. This emphasizes the shapes of buildings and structures but it also
provides an eerie sense of movement. It is as if the painting is alive and
slightly swaying. This can be seen best in his landscapes but it also provides
a heavy undertone in his portraits. In his painting of the potato eaters you
have to look but the movement is there. The lack of perfectly straight lines
offers a softer atmosphere to the piece.
The soft facial features are sharpened by the
harsh shadows that loom over them. Van
Gogh used shadows to portray both age but also the harshness of the life the
people led. The potato eaters are just that, people eating potatoes. However it
is through the brush strokes that the viewer can see emotions in the people’s
eyes and strain and fatigue in their bodies as they gather around the table. Van
Gogh can often be tied to the brightly colored paintings of sunflowers and
nighttime landscapes but it is in his dimmer darker pieces that you can really
feel the emotion both within and behind the piece.So if in parallel you can
attribute this painting to Van Gogh’s own state of mind and soul. The dark palette,
dim lighting and grim subject matter open a window into the subconscious.
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