Van Gogh like all great artists experimented – refining, bringing new dimensions, perspectives and techniques to his art. All evident in these three periods.
Early Years – 1881 – 1883
His early paintings were a reflection of a harsh reality, people living and working in a coal mining town, he himself living there for a while.
They were bleak, unforgiving, somber, harsh, depicting the miners, their families, and the surrounding landscape.
Middle Years – 1884 – 1887
Later he developed a more expressive, fluid, style, a forerunner to the latter years when he would hit his stride, using bold colours, bold brush techniques, establishing him as one of the world’s pre-eminent painters.
Latter Years – 1888 – 1890
This was Van Gogh’s glory period.
Self confident, painting with thick dabs of paint, often applied to the canvas directly, not using paint brushes.
All marvellous – the paintings, a joy to behold, to look, to ponder; hallmarks of great art.
He was fascinated by Japanese art to the point where bought 600 Japanese prints.
The Japanese style – delicate lines, bold use of colour, influenced him greatly, evident in these pieces.
