Art Essay Example

2

Introduction. eg.

‘What makes Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1888) so interesting, art historically?’

‘Every year, millions of people flock to London’s National Gallery to view a painting by Van Gogh, the Sunflowers, and even though the work was painted over one hundred years ago, critics are still writing articles and publishing books about it.

3

e.g. points to cover…‘What makes Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1888) so

interesting, art historically?’ • Painted by Van Gogh – eccentric manic depressive? Or genius?• Painted at time of change – post impressionism, last Impressionist

exhibition = 1886• Painted repeatedly – formed 1st in a series of 12• Painted using new techniques – thick paint (impasto) using paint

from tube, expressive brushstrokes and new colour technology, VG broke the rules

• Painting developed what went before - Fauvist influence and symbolism, Neo-impressionists (Pontillism, tradition of the Still Life, end of VG’s life (d.1890)

• Painting influenced artists that went after him – Bonnard, Vuillard, (Les Nabis) Art Nouveux (design) Symbolism, Expressionists

• Painting still influential – fetching $40m, still inspiring artists today… household image. VG celebrity…

4

• Eg. ‘Another aspect that makes VG’s Sunflowers interesting is the

way in which he has painted it. VG broke many of the ‘rules of painting’ when creating this masterpiece, breaking away from what many had done before him. He painted using new techniques – thick paint (impasto) using paint from tube, expressive brushstrokes and new colour technology, and in doing so, led the way for other artists to follow.’

5

e.g ‘in areas such as in the central husk of the flowers, it is interesting to note how heavily the artist has built up the paint, adding layer upon layer upon layer to create a thick impasto. This was very unusual at the time, when contemporaries, such as Gauguin were occupying themselves with creating a much smoother surface, leaning towards print. E.M Gombrich comments that: ….’

6

‘At a time when very few artists were using paint like this, Van Gogh was both breaking the rules and leading the way. By breaking pre-established rules for art, he was opening up avenues for other artists to follow, making the art that followed art historically exciting…’

Concluding remarks e.g

7

Conclusion eg

‘Van Gogh’s painting, Sunflowers (1888) is art historically fascinating because not only did it…but …and… and…. It is important to remember however that the image should be viewed within context, and not in isolation. Ultimately perhaps it could be argued that the impact the painting had was more important, art historically, than the work itself.’