Chair by Vincent van Gogh features the original simple chair which can also be found in his series of paintings that were based on his own bedroom. The Yellow House in Arles is the famous location of this bedroom and the chair itself and it was here that he prepared a home ready for friend Paul Gauguin to stay as the two aimed at working together to improve each's art.
Interestingly, Van Gogh used covered Gauguin's own chair in an alternative piece and it shows how the two came from very different backgrounds and also were at very different stages within their careers, with Gauguin a far more academically accepted and successful painter. The best known of all these chair paintings features Vincent's simple chair with small objects, believed to be his own, sat on it. These included a pipe with accompanying rolling papers and tobacco. The artist believed that smoking could help to combat his own feelings of depression which had dogged him for most of his life.
The objects on the chair therefore do far more than most would think, representing the artist's constant struggles within his own life and also his problems becoming established as an artist when compared to Gauguin's own chair. The success in the modern mainstream of this particular Chair painting, however, is probably nothing to do with these deeper meanings but more so simply that people appreciate seeing the personal belongings of Van Gogh and are interested to know more about how he lived his life back in the late 19th century.
The colours used within this painting are also classic Van Gogh with oranges, yellows, reds and greens which he was always keen to use in this paintings whenever it was possible. These colours represent his strong post-impressionist style and also helped him to focus the viewer's eyes on his chosen priority within the painting as well as give it a bright and bold finish.
We can conclude that Chair is a popular and important painting within the career of Vincent van Gogh but it's success is mainly down to it's use of colour and charm with the chair involved, where as the importance of it to the painter's career whilst he was still alive was due to how it represents his relationship with friend Paul Gauguin and also his constant struggle with mental illness which ultimately was lost just a few years later after the two had parted company.
Interestingly, Van Gogh used covered Gauguin's own chair in an alternative piece and it shows how the two came from very different backgrounds and also were at very different stages within their careers, with Gauguin a far more academically accepted and successful painter. The best known of all these chair paintings features Vincent's simple chair with small objects, believed to be his own, sat on it. These included a pipe with accompanying rolling papers and tobacco. The artist believed that smoking could help to combat his own feelings of depression which had dogged him for most of his life.
The objects on the chair therefore do far more than most would think, representing the artist's constant struggles within his own life and also his problems becoming established as an artist when compared to Gauguin's own chair. The success in the modern mainstream of this particular Chair painting, however, is probably nothing to do with these deeper meanings but more so simply that people appreciate seeing the personal belongings of Van Gogh and are interested to know more about how he lived his life back in the late 19th century.
The colours used within this painting are also classic Van Gogh with oranges, yellows, reds and greens which he was always keen to use in this paintings whenever it was possible. These colours represent his strong post-impressionist style and also helped him to focus the viewer's eyes on his chosen priority within the painting as well as give it a bright and bold finish.
We can conclude that Chair is a popular and important painting within the career of Vincent van Gogh but it's success is mainly down to it's use of colour and charm with the chair involved, where as the importance of it to the painter's career whilst he was still alive was due to how it represents his relationship with friend Paul Gauguin and also his constant struggle with mental illness which ultimately was lost just a few years later after the two had parted company.
You can buy art prints now of the Van Gogh Chair painting from Vangoghchair.com.
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