What : Letters to Theo: the Art and Life of Vincent Van Gogh
Where : Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
When : Friday, 10 May 2019 from 7:00 pm onwards
We would be delighted if you would join me for an illustrated talk at 7 pm on Fri 10 May 2019 at the Gulmohar Hall, Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003 on ‘Letters to Theo: The life of Vincent Van Gogh’.
As you may be aware, Vincent Van Gogh was a troubled artist, known to be a loner. He was financially supported throughout his life by his younger brother, Theo, who was also his only confidant. Vincent wrote long letters to Theo during his lifetime, 902 of which were discovered by Theo’s wife, Jo Bonger, on Theo’s death. They provide fascinating insights on his thinking, state of mind and the manner in which he approached his paintings.
Having had an amateur’s love affair over the last forty years with Vincent’s paintings, I decided to research his letters and have also had the chance to discuss these with experts at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Tate Gallery, London. The talk will cover Van Gogh’s early life and forays into painting – his interaction with the early impressionists in Paris, his fascination with Japanese art and the astounding effect that this had on his style of painting and other key influences on his life. I will also cover his famous ‘ear cutting episode’ (where very recent research has cast completely new light on this incident) and his growing emotional and psychiatric breakdowns culminating in his stays at the asylum at St Remy De Provence and at Auvers – Sur – Oise. Vincent’s death at Auvers (supposedly by his own hand) is also controversial and I will share some of the new theories going around.
In his letters to Theo, Vincent describes an astonishing life, building a picture of his thinking that can be correlated alongside with his paintings at different stages in his life.