Vincent Van Gogh - Person, Painting and A Poem - Enjoy with Troy!

in #art3 years ago (edited)

Vincent The Person

In the past weeks I have taken an interest in the artistry and life of Van Gogh and his contemporaries. Vincent was known for his sunflowers, country scenes, self portraits and nudes. Coming late to the French impressionists exhibition, he became a quick learner. Yet, he never forsook his love for the simple, peasant life in his work. At his peak, he would complete a painting a day. Yet, only one of his canvases sold during his lifetime. The portfolio of his almost 1000 paintings was preserved by his brother, Theo and wife.

Before his painting endeavors, he was a missionary/minister, having the influence of his father, a man of the cloth. Vincent was a loner and understood suffering. It is believed the lead from the paint and a bout of syphilis contributed to his mental instability. This is evidenced in his mood swings and his ear removal. His longest relationship was living with a street prostitute and her daughter, who already had the disease. You may remember his nude drawing called 'sorrow.'

Although it is commonly believed Vincent died from a self-inflicted bullet, botched suicide, there is another creditable story. A witness speaks of the artist playing with two young boys that day. The game was cowboy and Vincent was accidently shot. In an effort to spare these children, Vincent would not blame anyone.

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The Painting And Haiku Poetry

I chose to write a haiku poem (5 -7 -5) inspired from the Van Gogh painting entitled, A Pair of Shoes. This is fitting, considering Haiku is Japanese poetry and Vincent was later influenced by the art of Japan. I find this painting most intriguing. His subject was a simple pair of old shoes. I am thinking of writing a second, more traditional poem, at some point. I hope you enjoy.

A Pair of Shoes

Weary weathered shoes
Brushed on canvas, etched in time
Their stores to tell.


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Thanks for listening. Feel free to comment, upvote or repost.