Art Appreciation: Vincent van Gogh – A short career of enormous significance

This course aims to deepen your understanding of Vincent van Gogh’s works. You will learn about his Dutch origins, his interests and friendships while in Paris, the dreams he nurtured in Arles, and, his last months in Auvers-sur-Oise. For each phase, we will identify key works of art and connections with other artists. We will see his colours and brush-work evolve in the short period he was a painter. As we study his style and subject matters, we will interpret his paintings in terms of the artist’s vision and ideas. We will also interpret them in terms of their connection to a wider cultural context. Looking at Monet, Monticelli, Seurat, Bernard, Gauguin… Vincent van Gogh’s art is at the border between two 19th century art movements, Naturalism and Symbolism.

We will conclude the course looking into the way his art was received, in his lifetime (he only sold two paintings while he was alive) and throughout the 20th century, eventually reaching an incredible popularity. We will focus on the role his sister-in-law, Jo, played in promoting his art after Vincent’s premature death.