Van Gogh

This composition is not a work inspired by the life of the famous painter, but rather an attempt at a pictorial immersion into his world. In addition to Van Gogh’s character and tragic life, the technique he employed to create his works, the bright colours of his paintings and his view of nature served as inspiration for this musical work. Point by point, stroke by stroke, Van Gogh brought his own world to life on canvas.

On the life of Van Gogh:

The Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh was one of the most important pioneers of Modernism, despite being relatively unknown during his own lifetime. As an artist, he chose a life of poverty and seclusion. From today’s perspective, his important woks were created from 1880 onwards, when he had already more or less succumbed to madness. While his earlier works could still be classed as contemporary, he matured into a pioneer of Expressionism with his later work indicating an increasing self-awareness. He was just 37 years old when he died but he created over 750 paintings and 1600 drawings in the last ten years of his life.

The structure of the work:

Start: Brushes and Paints

Van Gogh retired to Arles in southern France where he found his artistic home. The colours and flowering gardens of this landscape awakened in him an unbelievably great creative power.

A: A Picture Comes into Being

Van Gogh’s psychotic episodes and bouts of depression did not stop him from painting wonderful pictures. Hardly anyone recognised his genius during his lifetime—on the contrary, he often felt misunderstood.

C: Paris—Arles

In Paris (from 1886), Van Gogh became inspired by the French art scene. His works found few takers, however. He met and befriended the painter Paul Gauguin, but the lack of success made Van Gogh short tempered, and he began to drink. Eventually, he moved from Paris to Arles in the south of France to establish an artists’ collective with Gaugin. Within a few weeks, the two got into such a violent argument that Van Gogh attacked his friend with a knife. The friends parted ways and afterwards Van Gogh cut off his right ear.

In 1889 he voluntarily admitted himself into a mental hospital at St. Rémy, suffering from hallucinations and fearing that he would lose his mind.

G: The Starry Night

One of his most famous paintings, created in 1898.

H: Death and Brotherly Love

Vincent van Gogh accepted an invitation to Auver-sur-Oise in 1890. This was one of his most intensive creative periods. He also went there for treatment, but his mental state hardly improved. After an extended walk, he injured himself fatally with a pistol under mysterious circumstances. Not even to his beloved brother Theo, who had supported him all his life, did he reveal on his deathbed how the accident had occurred.

J: Art Market

Today, Van Gogh's paintings are among the most expensive paintings on the art market. How ironic, given that he could hardly sell a painting during his lifetime.

"I put my heart and soul into my work and lost my mind in the process." (Vincent van Gogh)