ARGH!!!! I am so conflicted writing this review. I have been to this museum twice in my life before today. I have such a strong impression from my last visit that was totally blown by today's visit. Last time I visited, the Van Gogh paintings were hanging 'naked' , as in, you could really see the brush strokes and the vibrant colors. The paintings had so much life force they crackled with life and it seemed like there was an electric arc of energy between each canvas that connect to other paintings in the space. Arcs going over the heads of viewers, maintaining their connection and integrity between themselves oblivious to the viewer. That was a powerful experience. Very powerful, drawing me back to Europe just to experience it again.
Imagine how profoundly disappointing is was to see these works now under glass and in a much more dimly lit space. The glare off the glass killed the ability to really see the brushstrokes and how the paint was layered on itself to create the stunning Van Gogh effect. These paintings have been neutered by the safety measures taken since the last time I saw this work.. I understand why, of course. There were probably 2,000 people crammed into that museum at the same time I was there. That is a helluva lot of human traffic flow and fragile paintings cannot take all the second hand wear and tear that volume of humanity will inflict . In the interest of preserving the work to last for future generations to enjoy they've removed a lot of what made these works sought out in the first place.
There is a second show sharing the Van Gogh Museum space, a show called: "Easy Virtue Prostitution in French Art 1850-1910 (running through June 19, 2016). This is a great show, well put together to give the viewer the subtle hints in work that pointed toward the subject being a prostitute. There is some social commentary as well, like how many women were forced to turn to prostitution because even if they were working as a laundress or maid or shop girl they weren't paid enough to live on. Part of the show focuses on how this gave rise to the women's movement and demand for voting rights. The show also features a few women who went from being common whores or actresses or dancers to highly sought after courtesans who amassed their own fortunes through their strategic couplings. They commissioned portraits of themselves to propel their own myth and star power. Given the fact this was probably the only way they could have achieved wealth on their own given the sad state of limitations for women at the time, you really can't fault them for using whatever was at their disposal to get ahead.
I found it to be a really interesting show on a subject that certainly wasn't covered in any art history class I ever had. The inclusion of some rather x-rated photographs was sort of funny, too. As one of the videos in this show states, just about the first thing recorded on film is porn... it's been with us since the beginning, folks! There is a series of photographs from 1900 featuring 4 people in all the shots, two men, two women in every kind of suck and f*ck pose you can possibly imagine. Larry Flint and Hugh Hefner have nothing on this anonymous photographer from 1900! The show ties together these images with artists hanging out in brothels to absorb the day to day life of the resident working girls and do sketches.
So, anyway... this museum will always be worth visiting. Van Gogh is a master and the museum has done a really good job of detailing his relationship with his brother Theo, his family and some other artists of his time. He was not the tortured loner we often think of, he spent time in Paris going to galleries, meeting other artists and exchanging work with other artists. In the second show featuring the prostitutes, you'll see a painting Van Gogh did of the the woman who he had a relationship with-- well, not really a relationship, but she wasn't a prostitute, so call it what you will. He did a couple of other paintings of prostitutes that I haven't seen in other shows. Even if you think you know this artist, you will learn something new at this museum. I just wish it wasn't all under glass. read more