介绍:
In the late 19th century, if you were to say that one day, the paintings of Vincent van Gogh are going to have far-reaching impact and his name would be known to every aspiring artist, people would have laughed at you.
During his lifetime, Vincent van Gogh was considered to be a wildly maniacal artist who painted wheat fields and sunflowers. He lived almost all his life in poverty and only sold one of his more than 2100 works while still alive.
More than a century later, his works are studied by art students all over the world, from North America to Southeast Asia. He has also accumulated quite a large fan base with hundreds of thousands of people enjoying his work. Wang Jing is one of these dedicated fans.
"He lived his life in poverty, loneliness, and sickness. He was a legendary artist with a tragic life. After he died, his works were sold at the highest price. Today, people around the world look up to him and respect him. His works are enjoyed by everyone. Very few artists have achieved this."
This year marks the 125th anniversary of Van Gogh's death. To commemorate the occasion, the book 'Vincent Van Gogh Atlas' was published with 500 pictures from Van Gogh's art collection and stories from his life. Coinciding with the publication, an exhibition based on the book is held in East Beijing's 751-D Park. Wang Jing is also the curator of this exhibition.
"Because this year is the 125th anniversary of Van Gogh's death, there are events around the world commemorating him. The Van Gogh Museum published a book called "Van Gogh's Atlas". This is the first book commemorating Van Gogh. I am a publisher so I wanted to bring it to China. That's how this exhibition started."
At the entrance, visitors are greeted by one of the many self-portraits that Van Gogh had painted. It was because he did not have enough money to hire a model that he painted himself into these portraits.
The exhibition is actually held in a small space in a renovated industrial park, which is now turned into an artistic space in the city. Aside from introducing Van Gogh to those who haven't heard of him before, the exhibition also takes visitors through the artist's life.
In one corner is a replica of Van Gogh's bedroom while he lived in Arles, which is now a city in the south of France. It is an exact replica of his 1888 painting, Bedroom in Arles. There's an orange-colored bed in the corner, a chair with a plant on it and half-done paintings littering the floor. On the walls are two portraits: one is called Le Zouave and the other is another self-portrait.
On the left-hand wall, there's a timeline of Van Gogh's life, from birth to death and indicating some important events throughout his short time on Earth. Curator Wang Jing and her colleagues also made a documentary film which follows the footsteps of Van Gogh. Some of the sceneries from the film are then made into 3-D virtual reality. There are two helmets in the exhibition's gallery. By putting them on, you can feel as if you were following the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh as well.
Of course, the exhibition's main focus is art and there are many well-known works by Van Gogh on display in here. There are paintings such as The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum, Still Life: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers, his self-portrait with a bandaged ear and the iconic Starry Night.
According to Wang Jing, her idol is more than just a mere artist.
"Rather than calling him an artist, Van Gogh is a cultural phenomenon. Today, he is considered to be a god in the art world and Monet is just a master. Van Gogh's art are more than just colors and pictures. Through them, you can see his spirit. He dedicated his whole life to art."
Even though he lived his life in tragedy and depression, Van Gogh left a grand legacy for generations of artists. One hundred twenty-five years after his death, he is considered, not as a madman, but a great genius and master painter.
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