Listening to Van Gogh: 652 of Van Gogh's autographed letters that must be read

Cover news reporter Zhang Jie intern Li Xinyue

Van Gogh's paintings shine like daylight, and his letters are like silver moons, whispering about the great painter's turbulent and displaced life. When van Gogh is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind besides his dream-like paintings is his "abnormal" behavior, such as cutting off his ears. His masterpiece is a self-portrait of an ear cut off, why did Van Gogh cut off his own ears? Why did the 37-year-old give up his life completely? How did he die? Van Gogh's countless unsolved mysteries may be found in his handwritten letters.

In March 2021, the 2021 Chinese collector's edition of "Listening to Van Gogh" series of books published by China Translation Publishing House was launched. The series takes Van Gogh's artistic career as the main line, compiling representative letters documenting Van Gogh's life and artistic creation, preserving 652 letters between Van Gogh and his younger brother Theo. The series includes: "Listening to Van Gogh (Part 1) - Deviant and the Path of Painting", "Listening to Van Gogh (Part 2) - Self-Redemption and the Peak of Art", and "Van Gogh Speaks of Painting". The first volume contains the correspondence between Van Gogh and Theo between 1873 and 1883, documenting Van Gogh's early life and the official beginning of his painting career. The next volume contains the correspondence between Van Gogh and Theo between 1883 and 1890, records van Gogh's classic works and their creative processes in different periods, and connects Van Gogh's painting paths through the "Dutch period", "Paris period", "Arles period", "Saint-Rémy period" and the last stage of his life, that is, the "Auver period", which represent the starting point, transition period, exploration period, style formation period and creative peak of Van Gogh's artistic career.

Van Gogh in the letter more completely recorded his turbulent life and mental journey, through Van Gogh's appeal to the end of the pen, we can truly understand how this "embarrassed person" who "achieved nothing" in the eyes of the world embarked on the road of painting, and ignited his painting talent through extraordinary diligence. From Van Gogh's description, we glimpse his "heat" and "despair" of art and life. Van Gogh's work, along with his letters, also witnessed the birth and fall of a talented artist. The correspondence between 1873 and 1890 basically tells the life of Van Gogh and can be described as an autobiography of Van Gogh epistles. At the same time, these letters are a rare and important historical material for us to understand Van Gogh's inner world today.

The trajectory of genius is mysterious and elusive, not just to watch, but also to listen

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter. Representative works include "Starry Moon Night", "Sunflower", "Self-Portrait" and so on. Born into a family of Protestant priests in the Dutch countryside, he spent his early years as a clerk and trading house agent, as a missionary in the mines, and finally as a painter. His early painting style was realistic, mainly influenced by traditional Dutch painting and the French Realism school. In 1886, he met the Impressionists and Neo-Impressionists in Paris, and after being exposed to Japanese ukiyo-e works, his painting style changed dramatically, and the paintings changed from dull and dim in the early days to simple, bright and intense in color. In 1890, Van Gogh shot himself, ending 37 years of life.

This person who was recognized by the world as an "alcoholic", "crazy", "neurotic" and "loser" before his death was actually the person who ran ahead of that era, and the era was far behind him. His paintings were too maverick and did not conform to the mainstream aesthetic standards of the time. But when the times keep up with him, he has been drowned in the quicksand of time. Look up at the starry sky and you will find the warmth, purity and burning of the stars. Sunflowers, which seem to be ordinary, can also burst out the meaning of life and feel strong emotions. Van Gogh – it was the fire of his soul that lit up the world.

"The real artists are all strong, the individuals who transcend the existing paradigm of art and go their own way, they are the backbone of history, just a few people in a century." In the preface to the book, the artist Yang Limin said, "Many years ago, when I read Van Gogh, I said that Vincent could not just watch, but also need to listen, watching is too superficial, the trajectory of genius is mysterious and elusive, and it is not enough to use only one pair of eyes. ”

Anyone who is touched by Van Gogh's paintings must receive a part of Theo's affection

Van Gogh, like his self-portrait, resembled a serious man. In the eyes of future generations, his life is like a firework, brilliant and full of tragedy. He had lived a life of solitude, and without Theo van Gogh, his brother and agent, perhaps Van Gogh would have collapsed long ago. As the famous writer, poet, and translator Yu Guangzhong said: "Born Van Gogh, he dedicated his life to art, and he gave birth to Theo (Theo), and gave his life to his brother." Otherwise, even if there is Van Gogh and his people in the world, there will be no Van Gogh paintings, and today in the face of the magic brilliance of "Sunflower" and "Starry Night" ("Starry Night"), audiences all over the world who are touched must receive a part of Theo (Theo). ”

Theo was Van Gogh's "closest relative, confidant, and pillar", and Van Gogh's dependence on and trust in Theo was all revealed through his words. His heart was innocent and warm, and he "nagged" to Theo about his inner joy, confusion and sadness, his perception of life and his understanding of art. It can be said that without Theo's double support in material and spiritual terms, there would be no birth of Van Gogh paintings compiling representative letters recording Van Gogh's life and artistic creation, and no flesh-and-blood, complete Van Gogh, complete and completely different from what we imagine, displayed in front of the public.