Farmhouse in Provence by Vincent van Gogh

07/20/19 • 8 min

This deceptively peaceful summer landscape actually bristles with energy! Van Gogh painted this in Arles, in the south of France where he tried to escape modern life and re-discover a simpler, brighter world.

We’ll find out how the actions of an American admiral in a country on the other side of the globe led to one of the biggest artistic influences that Europe–and Vincent–had ever experienced.

See the artwork at https://alonglookpodcast.com/farmhouse-in-provence-by-vincent-van-gogh/

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas youtu.be/jGEdNSNkZoo

Episode theme is “Sonatine – II. Mouvement de Menuet” composed by Maurice Ravel. Performed by Markus Staab. Courtesy of musopen.org. https://musopen.org/music/4724-sonatine/

Farmhouse in Provence information https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.52178.html

https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.52178.html#relatedpages

Japanese influence on Western art Japonisme : Japanese Reflections in Western Art. Sunderland, England: Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, 1986. Print.

Put, Max., Sichel, Philippe., and Koechlin, Raymond. Plunder and Pleasure : Japanese Art in the West, 1860-1930 . Leiden: Hotei Pub., 2000. Print.

Vincent van Gogh and Japan. Tokyo: TV Asahi, 1992. Print.

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jpon/hd_jpon.htm

https://www.kumon-ukiyoe.jp/en/history.php

https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/stories/inspiration-from-japan#10

Quotes from van Gogh’s letter explaining color use https://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/audio-video/audio/collection-highlights-english/farmhouse-in-provence-van-gogh.html

The Life of Animals in Japanese Arthttps://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2019/life-of-animals-in-japanese-art.html

Library of Congress Japanese Prints Collection https://www.loc.gov/collections/japanese-fine-prints-pre-1915/about-this-collection/

Andō, Hiroshige, Artist. Tōto meguro yuhhigaoka / Hiroshige ga. Fuji Japan Mount Tokyo, 1858. [Tokyo: Tsuta-ya Kichizō] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2004666335/.

We’ll find out how the actions of an American admiral in a country on the other side of the globe led to one of the biggest artistic influences that Europe–and Vincent–had ever experienced.

See the artwork at https://alonglookpodcast.com/farmhouse-in-provence-by-vincent-van-gogh/

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas youtu.be/jGEdNSNkZoo

Episode theme is “Sonatine – II. Mouvement de Menuet” composed by Maurice Ravel. Performed by Markus Staab. Courtesy of musopen.org. https://musopen.org/music/4724-sonatine/

Farmhouse in Provence information https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.52178.html

https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.52178.html#relatedpages

Japanese influence on Western art Japonisme : Japanese Reflections in Western Art. Sunderland, England: Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, 1986. Print.

Put, Max., Sichel, Philippe., and Koechlin, Raymond. Plunder and Pleasure : Japanese Art in the West, 1860-1930 . Leiden: Hotei Pub., 2000. Print.

Vincent van Gogh and Japan. Tokyo: TV Asahi, 1992. Print.

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jpon/hd_jpon.htm

https://www.kumon-ukiyoe.jp/en/history.php

https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/stories/inspiration-from-japan#10

Quotes from van Gogh’s letter explaining color use https://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/audio-video/audio/collection-highlights-english/farmhouse-in-provence-van-gogh.html

The Life of Animals in Japanese Arthttps://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2019/life-of-animals-in-japanese-art.html

Library of Congress Japanese Prints Collection https://www.loc.gov/collections/japanese-fine-prints-pre-1915/about-this-collection/

Andō, Hiroshige, Artist. Tōto meguro yuhhigaoka / Hiroshige ga. Fuji Japan Mount Tokyo, 1858. [Tokyo: Tsuta-ya Kichizō] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2004666335/.

Previous Episode

Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle) by Wassily Kandinsky

Today’s painting was a real challenge to describe! It’s by Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian artist who was one of the pioneers of abstract art. We’ll find out how the Apocalypse, Monet, Matisse and music all came together to influence this work.

And we’ll find out how Kandinksy’s philosophy behind the Improvisation paintings made him an early advocate for long looking!

Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle) does not have an open access image available but you can see it at https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.56670.html

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas youtu.be/jGEdNSNkZoo

Episode theme is “Symphony No.40 in G minor, K.550 – III. Minuetto allegretto” composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performed by Das Orchester Tsumugi. Courtesy of musopen.org https://musopen.org/music/1577-symphony-no-40-in-g-minor-k-550

Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle) information https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.56670.html

Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle) audio https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.56670.html#relatedpages

Wassily Kandinsky, Improvisation No. 31 (Sea Battle) by the National Gallery of Art, 1979?

Wassily Kandinsky, Life and Work, by Will Grohmann. Published by New York, H. N. Abrams, 1958

Monet’s “Haystacks” at Art Institute Chicago https://www.artic.edu/collection?artist_ids=Claude%20Monet

Next Episode

The Martyrdom and Last Communion of St. Lucy by Veronese

This dramatic scene was painted by Paolo Veronese during the Counter-Reformation. The Church, reeling from years of corruption and the rise of Protestantism, relied on works like these to promote the importance and validity of the sacraments. And martyrs were meant to serve as role models to Catholics. The idea was, “Hey, look what this person is willing to go through for their faith!”

I thought it would be fun to have an actual artist on the podcast! So today, I’m joined by Bruce Campbell, one of the Gallery’s longtime copyists. We discuss technique and what he discovered while copying this painting he describes as operatic.

Lucy was one tough lady. Despite being born into a noble Sicilian family in the third century, she became a Christian at a time when Christians were being persecuted mercilessly. She stood up to an abusive Roman governor and died speaking her truth to power.

See the artwork at https://alonglookpodcast.com/the-martyrdom-and-last-communion-of-st-lucy-by-veronese/

SHOW NOTES

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas youtu.be/jGEdNSNkZoo

Episode theme is “Adoramus te Christe” composed by Giovanni Palestrina. Performed by Słowiki Choir. Courtesy of musopen.org https://musopen.org/music/4209-adoramus-te-christe/

St Lucy information https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.63264.html#overview

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Lucy

de Voragine, Jacobus. The Golden Legend. Anno Press, NY 1969

Counter Reformation information https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/renaissance-and-reformation/protestant-reformation/v/introduction-to-the-protestant-reformation-the-counter-reformation-4-of-4

Bruce Campbell information www.atelierbic.com