Van Gough Experience & Whitechapel Gallery –
“To love many things is to love life, to love life is to be happy.”
Yesterday I travelled to London and today while there, I had the opportunity to visit a couple of galleries. Since I became aware of its existence I always wanted to visit the Van Gough immersive experience. It certainly did not disappoint! I actually learned a huge amount today – so much so that my childhood perception of Van Gough completely changed!
Whenever Van Gough was mentioned, either at school or at art college, his persona in my mind, was one of someone who, couldn’t paint very well, went mad, chopped his ear off and then killed himself. In my adolescent mind this was probably as a result of him not being able to paint very well.
Clearly my childhood view was both incredibly uniformed and naive and as I learned more about his life and works, my views began to gradually change. However today was completely revelatory! Van Gough reimagined for the digital age, complete with a narrative of his life was incredibly moving. Up to this point I had also been completely unaware of his many words of wisdom.
Vincent van Gogh was a prolific artist, and his letters to his brother, Theo van Gogh, provide insights into his thoughts and philosophy. Here are some key quotes attributed to Vincent van Gogh:
1. “I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart.”
2. “I dream my painting, and then I paint my dream.”
3. “For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”
4. “Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow.”
5. “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
6. “If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
7. “The more I paint, the more I like everything.”
8. “I would rather die of passion than of boredom.”
9. “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”
10. “Art is to console those who are broken by life.”
These quotes reflect Van Gogh’s clear passion for art, his dedication to his craft, and his introspective and philosophical nature. His words continue to inspire and resonate with artists and individuals around the world and I’m so pleased to now understand it.
