By Jianqi Zhou
Vincent Van Gogh, a post-impressionist painter whose paintings got famous globally after his death. In his whole life, he created more than 900 paintings with his magical brush, including The Starry Night, Vase with Twelve Sunflowers, his self-portraits, and so on. Some people appraise that “his depiction of figures, light, and landscape can be admired without the need of color”. Today, hanging his paintings at home is not only a way to show your particular artistic taste but also became a symbol of wealth. Thus, many people would bid with exorbitant prices without hesitation in the auctions for these masterpieces. Most recently, Van Gogh’s PARIS was sold by Sotheby’s Paris for 13.1 million euros ($15.4 million) on March 25, 2021. The portrait of doctor Paul Gachet sold for $75 million in 1990 which broken the highest price record in the art auction history at that time.
Vincent Van Gogh’s whole life was full of tragedy and haplessness, but he never gave up painting. Van Gogh was born in an upper-middle-class family in the mid-19th century. His art talent was shown at a very young age, but no one understood him at that time. He described his childhood as “austere and cold, and sterile” in his letter. Later, he grew up and started to earn for living. At the same time, he fell in love with a girl who was his landlady’s daughter. When he finally mustered up the courage to confess his love to the girl, he got a cold and resolute rejection. He then became more isolated and religiously fervent. He had even tried to become a pastor who generously donated his bakery to the impoverished congregation, and slept on straws with miners. However, this selfless behavior didn’t gain any appreciation or recognition from the local church authorities who dismissed him for "undermining the dignity of the priesthood". After the blows on relationship and career, he finally met his first mentor, Anton Mauve, who introduced him to watercolor and painting in oil. Then, his painting and work started stepping on the right track. Yet those whom the gods love usually die young. Ill from long-term drinking and smoking made him suffer through his late life. Eventually, he died at the age of 37. After that, people started to realize that we lost a shining star in art history forever. His artworks also became the hotcakes that everyone wanted to take a glance at.
We may not be millionaires who can possess a Van Gogh painting, but luckily, we got a chance to take a glimpse of his artwork in Buffalo today. Beyond Van Gogh wants to invite you to enjoy a visual feast created by the amazing combination of technology and art.
In an imaginative and immersive presentation crafted for our unique times by world renowned audiovisual designers, Beyond Van Gogh uses cutting-edge projection technology to create an engaging journey into the world of Van Gogh. Masterpieces, now freed from frames, come alive, appear and disappear, flow across multi-surfaces, the minutia of details titillating our heightened senses. Through his own words set to a symphonic score, we may come to a new appreciation of this tortured artist’s stunning work.
The exhibit is now selling tickets through November 14. The location is at the Starry Night Pavilion at Eastern Hills Mall (4545 Transit Road, Williamsville, NY 14221).
For more information about the exhibit, visit: https://vangoghbuffalo.com/
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