Vincent Van Gogh
I recently visited the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam and learnt more about the man behind some of the most famous paintings in the world.
There is no doubt that Vincent was an extremely talented artist. But, I now believe it was his talent combined with his passion, ambition, intensity and curiosity that helped him excel in his craft as an artist. Vincent painted rigorously - he produced more than 1000 paintings in a decade with more than 75 paintings in the last 70 days of his life.
Vincent Van Gogh set out to make something with all of his heart, and express human emotion and the reality of his painting subjects as intensely and as true as he possibly could. His belief in simplicity and radiance led to masterpieces.
At 27, he decided to start a new career as an artist. He set out to work with unbridled drive and determination, without knowing whether he had real talent 1. He decided to focus his energy on what he perceived was missing from the art world - the expression of simple peasant life. This, combined with his love for nature and rural landscapes, led to some of the most memorable paintings in the world. He chose to live a life in the midst of what he was painting - a simple peasant life in rural villages surrounded by nature, peasants and beautiful landscapes.
Vincent was extremely devoted to mastering the basics through various studies / drawings 2. He believed this was the foundation, the root of everything when it comes to being a great painter.
Vincent was constantly searching for a new way of looking and seeing. He was keen to be in step with the latest artistic developments. This is evidenced by his various relocations during his time as an artist, especially his move to Paris where his art form was flourishing 3. He also cited as taking inspiration from various fellow artists like Claude Monet, as well as being influenced by Japanese prints.
I had a wonderful time at the museum. I feel grateful to have experienced some of the beauty Van Gogh created in his time. I have a deeper appreciation for his work having learnt more about his process, and qualities other than raw talent that he had and that I can develop and aspire to - curiosity, rigour, courage to experiment in new ways, the unbridled pursuit of truth and of seeking the essence - that played a role in the creation of masterpieces.