Representation in Self Portraiture This is a blog to keep track of my dissertation research and to help develop ideas in an organised manner.

Source 1 - The Art of Van Gogh, Nathaniel Harris [Book]
General contextual information of the different periods of his life.

Source 2 - The Masterworks of Van Gogh, Nathaniel Harris [Book]
More contextual work, will have to pick out relevant parts...
Must look for some specific essays on his self portraiture once I have the contextual information.

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Source 1
The Greatness of Van Gogh

Dutch painter, could be described as an 'outsider'
'In worldly terms he was an utter failure - in business, as an evangelist and finally in his true vocation as an artist.'
Out of around 800 paintings, sold only one before his death

Inspired by Impressionists, 'Van Gogh developed an art of supreme emotional intensity'
'He did not merely attempt to paint what he saw : he painted what he felt.'
'an expression of the painter's soul and emotions.'

This is primarily my reason for choosing Van Gogh, it is perhaps this uniqueness that meant his paintings would go beyond simply + realistically portraying a person and to see if how one feels is a truthful representation, after all feelings cannot lie? Or can they? Suppressed/unconscious could still affect how we feel so therefore still being biased... Define the term 'biased' to be clearer, these things they artist would have no knowledge, or control of.... could go as far as to our disposition relating to our genes.

Structure of the paintings add to the impression they give, the built up paint, enlarged sky/moon gives the sense it is about to fall on us 'The sense of mental, of universal, dislocation is complete and overwhelming' p8-9

This kind of art has developed a name - 'expressionistic'
'Expressionist is almost by definition an individualist, pre-occupied with his subjective reactions; but although expressionism has never been a distinctive movement with a set programme, it has certainly been a persistent tendency in modern art.'p9

It's good to have narrowed down what this type of movement was called... and here it is said that it is subjective reactions, which seems to go against the objectivity I am looking for in this dissertation. 
Remember the subjective --> objective move which may be done by the seer... then remember the seer may be subject to the subjective, therefore not being entirely objective. The lead onto the context driven route (kind of coherentism).

'It has appeared in a variety of guises which have in common only the artist's practice of modifying reality in the interests of emotional truth - in order, as Van Gogh himself stated, that the picture might be 'truer than the literal truth'. p9

I think this will be very important in the essay... So would it in fact be 'truer than literal truth'? Perhaps this is how my essay will flow and this painting will be the supporting argument that starts off my essays tendency to go towards the context driven... The context of the work would indeed be the emotions portrayed of the character, but then maybe the question goes to how accurately that it is portrayed and how well the seer perceives it...

Wrote many letters, notably his brother Theo. These therefore aid the context-driven nature of his work. Prior to reading about Van Gogh (gaining a deeper context into his work) I did see his paintings as not an accurate representation. All showed different features of himself...

The Early Years

1 year before Van Gogh's birth, mother had a boy who died within a few weeks also 'Vincent willem' 'writers with a taste for psychoanalysis have speculated that the painter may have suffered from a lifelong guilt at having usurped the dead child's place; but the evidence to support such a view is, to say the least, thin.'

In my Freud chapter I may return to this?

Much drawing as a child, focus on accuracy and technique
First withdrawl into himself came after his unrequited love with his landlady's daughter.
Became obsessed with religious ideas
read Bible constantly
Letters to Theo provide much of the context of his life
'Van Gogh's dark months in the Borinage  proved to be a turning point. By the summer of 1880 he has at last discovered his true vocation as an artist.'

The Long Struggle

love for Kee Vos scandal
The Hague + Sien


August 1882, Van Gogh began to paint (born 1853) Age 29
This point in time, Van Gogh still had aspirations of becoming a successful illustrator
Had to fund this new art ever more so from Theo, tried to justify it in letters
Relationship deteriorated, left her in September 1883
March 1885, Father Pastor Van Gogh suddenly collapsed and died p30

The School of Paris

(Feb 1886-1888) Transformed Van Gogh
Dangerous, personalities/styles in danger of being overwhelmed, drifting from one style to the next without making any distinctive contribution of their own...
Influence by impressionism, and successful absorbtion of other styles... colour

I need to locate translations of his letters as support for some of my assumptions,

'But from this time onwards, the most fascinating record of his appearance is the artist's own : self-portraiture, previously occasional, now became virtually a habit with Van Gogh, revealing his moods, preoccupations and even something of his technical development.' p36

Suggestions of what his self-portrait may reveal, interesting I see a parallel in my own work with this

'A self-portrait done in Antwerp makes him look older than his years, like a middle aged, pipe smoking labourer clad in his shabby best suit to sit for a photograph. His sombre clothing tones in with the gloomy background; the painting might serve as an illustration of the sort of thing against which the Impressionists had revolted. the Paris self-portraits are not only measureably brighter, and technically adventurous in line with his other works of the period; they also show him in a surprising new light.'......... (talk of dress sense) p36-7
'At the very least the self-portraits express a state of mind - here, surely, a deep involvement with the Parisian way of life.' p37

Reflects a good state of mind for Van Gogh, surely. His quote:
"And mind my dear fellow, Paris is Paris. There is but one Paris and however hard living may be here, and if it became worse and harder even - the french air clears up the brain and does good - a world of good."
Need to find ALL his self-portraits and view them in chronological order along with time periods of things that happened in his life to see the correlation between them.

Paul Guaguin - both made a strong impression on each other

Theo quarelled with Vincent (sharing home) like I suppose some brothers would

'A famous self-portrait from the period seems to reflect this mood; although still remotely related to Japanese and Pointillist works, it is nevertheless a painting of great intensity and originality in which a web of dense, rhythmically patterned brush-strokes lead the eye restlessly all over the picture surface, creating a brilliant and deeply uneasy effect.' p47

Which self-portrait is this referring to??? possibly towarsd the end of 1887, about to leave France, in his phase of entering depression and irritability.

'A final self-portrait, done in January or February of 1888, shows a distinct change in Van Gogh's self-image. The frenzy of the brush-work has subsided; Van Gogh's figure takes up most of the picture surface, looking larger and sturdier than in previous self-portraits, and radiating a dogged determination.' p48



I have thoughts about whether this is really how Van Gogh saw himself? If he has indeed pulled the wool over peoples eyes and this is not the reality of things we percieve it to be. Paint can lie very easily, as can interpretation.
As I said previously, need to correlate paintings to periods in his life and see if these things correlate and if this correlation is indeed affecting the representation of the artist, to a truer extent.

20th February 1888 - train from Paris to southern city of Arles.
 
Arles: Triumph and Tragedy

Heard old teacher had died, Anton Mauve, dedicated 'Souvenir de Mauve' and sent it to the painters widow
clear, colourful and decorative work
Famous sunflowers series, harmonies in yellow, reproduced all over the world
sometimes completed one, two paintings a day!

'In the Midi, Van Gogh's years of relentless self-instruction began to bring substantial results, enabling him to paint with an astonishing facility and rapidity; and this in turn made it possible for him to get onto canvas the special emotion created by each subject before the feeling became dulled' p52

This quote is important, it explains that Van Gogh didn't spend a long time on his paintings and how the emotion was able to get across more accurately in a painting. 

'he often painted a single subject many times, thus increasing the element of premediation in his approach' p52

Perhaps this throws some doubt into the pot. If he chooses the best painting, who knows what small details can be changed to transform the entire aesthetic? Linking here very much to photography. And multiple shots = multiple image selection choice.

'Instead of making preparatory sketches and studies in orthodox fashion, Van Gogh 'drew' directly onto the canvas with his loaded brush, sometimes even squeezing the paint directly onto the surface from the tube.' p52 "I let myself go without thinking of any rules"

If I take this to be accurate, then perhaps there will be more fluidity in his work if this applies to his self-portraiture... perhaps it only applies from the self-portraits in this point onwards, 1888. The previous concern can still apply however, the multiple production of works.

Exchange between Van Gogh, Guaguin and Bernard
Guaguin painting 'Les miserables'   - portrait of the artist as a victim to society p57

If this is a painting to portray something this this can't be an accurate representation as that is a subjective issue is it not? of being a victim? Perhaps if it was of ones emotion, such as being in love / feeling melancholy then, this is more objective because we would be the foremost authority on how we feel. 

'Perhaps inspired by this self-dramataziation, Van Gogh painted the most bizarre of his self-portraits, which he described as 'almost colourless', and dedicated it to Guaguin. Gaunt, slant-eyed and shaven-headed, the Van Gogh of this painting radiates a fanatical intensity, his strangeness emphasized by placing him in front of a pale green background. In a letter to Theo, Vincent explained that the portrait was, like Guaguins, an exaggeration of his own personality, intended to represent the artist as an utterly undedicated figure - 'a bonze [buddhist monk], a simple worshipper of the eternal Buddha'.' p57

This is interesting, this is the first instance of a subverted reality, mocking perhaps, exaggerated to an extreme which is not an accurate representation but a representation of an exaggerated personality.  


mad painter, night cafe, clashing red and greens
Guaguins self-projection (arrived in Arles 23 October 1888) two months together
Guaguin portrait of his friend, quarrel, decided safer to leave
Chair and pipe painting
Theo becomes engaged - threatened
23rd December Guaguin leaves, some altercation took place...
Led to Van Gogh hacking off a piece of his ear...
He gave it to Gaby at a brothel, wrapped in newspaper...
Police called, found him in a coma at the yellowhouse
7th January 1889, released from hospital
returned, poison fiasco
mental health deteriorating.
During periods of freedom, began to paint again
self portrait with bandaged is touching
his doctor
5 versions of La Berceuse, postman's wife Madame Roulin

REMINDER: Dissertation will be a progression from suggesting literal representation is impossible. Therefore, the closest you can come to knowing and understanding is to have as much context available whether it's visual, auditory etc...

The Unbearable Vision

Saint Paul's Hospital
Great creative period - June 1889 - early July 1889
Starry Night
diagnosed with epilepsy
other possible contributors - alcoholism, malnutrition, syphilis and schizophrenia

Correlation between events and Van Gogh's attacks noticed with events in Theo's family life
One just after he announced the engagement
another serious after pregnancy revealed 10th July 1889
experienced hallucinations, suicidal thoughts

'One of the self-portraits he painted after his recovery, in the autumn of 1889, is an almost glamorous image of the artist with brushes and palette.'

Further evidence.

exhibition and first sale
3months of good health
2 mild attacks - Dec 1889, Jan 1890
End of Feb 1890, deadly seizure, tried to poison himself with paint (occured shortly after theo's wife gave birth) consciously delighted, he sent them a painting almond tree

16 May 1890, left asylum for Paris
early June, pressures built for Theo, baby's health and superiors got on badly
 
Sunday 27th July, began a letter to Theo, but never finished... went out into field and shot himself
went back to his room at the inn
'the sadness will last forever' he was determined to die
Died 29th July 1890
Brother died 25th January 1891




Source 1 - The Art of Van Gogh, Nathaniel Harris  p. The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited -london-newyork-sydney-toronto astranaut house, feltham, middlesex england 1982
0-600-39036-5

Source 2 - The Masterworks of Van Gogh, Nathaniel Harris p. Parragon, Bristol 1997
0-75252-554-9

Simon Johnson
www.thephilosophicalphotographer.co.uk