What are the secrets of Van Gogh's most famous bedroom in art history?

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

It was autumn when Van Gogh slept for the first time in the famous "yellow house" and painted a picture of the most famous bedroom in the history of art. And then the post-impressionist artist wrote two more works, which together make up the whole story with Vincent's bedrooms. What does the trilogy of paintings with Vag Gog's bedrooms say?

How the trilogy was created

Vincent Van Gogh's bedroom in Arles is perhaps the most famous room in art history. It was even more important for the artist himself, who created three separate paintings of this intimate space (from 1888 to 1889). Van Gogh's life was short and nomadic. By the time of his death at the age of 37, Van Gogh had lived in 37 different houses and in 24 cities. In 1888, he finally moved into the house that he really considered his own and his family - his beloved "yellow house" in Arles. He first painted an image with his room in 1888, shortly after moving to Arles, and then painted a similar composition twice more in 1889.

What was Van Gogh's bedroom like?

At first glance, the narrow bed was painted by Vag Gog "wide and double". The bed has two pillows next to the scarlet duvet. Two pillows are a symbol of Van Gogh's hope to soon meet his beloved, and two chairs are the prototype of his own "empty chair", to which he will dedicate the famous canvas in a few weeks.

On the far wall there are hooks on which hang clothes and a straw hat (she protected him while working in the strong Provencal sun). On a small table is a miniature still life (a flask, a glass, a jug and a basin, soap and two or three glass bottles). In all three versions, a mirror hangs (it was used both for leaving and for creating self-portraits).

Vincent wrote in one of his letters to his brother Theo that the walls in the bedroom were pale purple. Vivid colors were supposed to express absolute "peace" or "sleep". But since the pigments on the canvas are outdated, the walls have acquired a bluish tint over time. Vincent was in awe of the bedroom, calling it "one of the best" he had ever seen. He also wrote a small sketch of the bedroom in a letter to Gauguin, in which he intended to "express complete peace."

Gauguin arrived in Arles a week after Van Gogh's letter, which ultimately resulted in a tumultuous nine-week stay that ended with an ear injury. Van Gogh was hospitalized, and while he was absent, dampness arose in the "yellow house". The reason was that the Rona, a nearby river, overflowed. Upon his return, he was horrified to find that water was oozing from the walls. Some of his paintings, including The Bedroom, were damaged by moisture and began to flake off. To dry them, Van Gogh applied newspapers to the host's surface, but, unfortunately, a small amount of ink still penetrated the paint.

Van Gogh's "Bedrooms" Trilogy: First Version

In the first version of the trilogy, Van Gogh portrayed his own bedroom in the famous "yellow house", which is located on the street Lamartine house number 2 in France. The door on the left leads to the guest room, which he was preparing for the arrival of his friend Gauguin. The door on the right is directed to the upper floor. The front window overlooked the square and the square.

The most unusual aspect of the painting is its peculiar perspective. The work is unrealistic in the distorted image of the bedroom, in which the objects are turned down towards the viewer. This is one of the details that makes the painting so unique and easily recognizable. Vincent once wrote to Theo that he deliberately "flattened" the interior and removed all shadows so that his photograph resembled a Japanese engraving. Van Gogh was a big fan of Japanese aesthetics. His move to the south of France was in part aimed at finding a healthier environment. Vincent needed to observe "nature under a brighter sky" in order to better understand how the Japanese "feel and paint." In the painting "Bedroom" Van Gogh sought to reproduce the palette of bright colors and the absence of shadows characteristic of Japanese woodcut.

Second version

The bedroom has simple wooden furnishings, and the walls are decorated with paintings by Van Gogh. By using bright, contrasting colors, the artist sought to express special emotions: pale purple tiles, yellow furniture and light purple walls. The vibrant and bold use of color in Vincent's bedroom in Arles is typical of the vibrant palette he began using towards the end of his Paris period. Yellow has always been Van Gogh's favorite color throughout his period in Arles and Saint-Remy - whether for outdoor use in wheat fields under the Provencal sun, or in bedroom interiors.

Third version

In a letter to his brother Theo, Vincent explained what prompted him to paint this picture: he wanted to emphasize the simplicity of his bedroom using the symbolism of flowers. He wrote: "pale, lilac walls, uneven, faded red floor, chrome chairs and bed, pillows and sheets in very pale green, blood red blanket, orange wash basin, blue wash basin and green window." Marvelous! But with such a bright palette, Van Gogh "wanted to express absolute peace."

Vincent's Bedroom in Arles is one of the artist's most famous paintings. A series of works by Van Gogh is also unusual in that these are the only works in which the artist depicts "picture in picture". Vincent's Yellow House in Arles served not only as a home, but also as Van Gogh's workshop. As a result, he hung many of his recently painted works (for example, in the next bedroom of Paul Gauguin there were several famous Van Gogh paintings of sunflowers). Although Van Gogh often wrote about his work in detail, the artist conveys the florid description of the colors and plots of "The Bedroom" with special care. Moreover, Vincent even offers his own picture frame, which clearly shows that the artist proudly and carefully kept them. Vivid colors, an unusual perspective and a simple plot create not only one of Van Gogh's most popular trilogies, but also what he himself considered one of his personal favorites.