Research Paper On Vincent Van Gogh

Reaction/Response Paper

Vincent Van Gogh is the artist from a video slideshow I watched at RSU on youtube in the Fall of 2015. Van Gogh was a post-impressionist painter. He was born in the Netherlands in 1853. He struggled with a mental illness and was virtually unknown throughout his life. Van Gogh’s art helped him stay emotionally balanced. Vincent Van Gogh started his art career by just drawing. He would use pencil, charcoal, pen, and ink. He used lines and dashes to be a substitute for color. Van Gogh once said, “Drawing is the root of everything.” I particularly like this quote because drawing sounds so simple and yet it can show so much. You have to start somewhere. A black and white drawing may seem like an easy step for an artist to draw, but it can also be very complex.

I personally like this painting because its use of color and texture is amazing. The stars and blue sky swirl in a beautiful array of color. I like the use of the dark buildings and how the stars shine brightly over it all. The song “Starry, Starry Night” by Don Mclean is so peaceful. I love the acoustic sound to it and that the lyrics speak so perfectly about Vincent Van Gogh’s life story. “How you suffered for your sanity, how you tried to set them free. They would not listen, they’re not listening still. Perhaps they never will.” That is such a moving statement. Van Gogh had a rough life yet he managed to do so much great work. The painting “Daubigny’s Garden” was painted three times by Van Gogh. It depicts the garden of a painter whom Van Gogh admired throughout his life. I think it is a beautiful painting with bright colors that remind me of