Self Portrait – Vincent Van Gogh
Painted in 1887  – Months before Van Gogh Moved to Arles
In Quest of the Kingdom of Light

Vincent Van Gogh was born in the Netherlands but moved to Belgium in 1886. After studying art there, he moved to Paris to live with his brother Theo, who had encouraged Vincent to turn his love of drawing into a painting career. Although Theo was younger than Vincent, he supported his older brother both emotionally and financially during the latter part of the elder brother’s life.

Life in Paris did not agree with Vincent. His first paintings were dark and did not please the public. To escape the city and to seek the light, he moved to Arles, which is in the South of France. Van Gogh’s letters to his brother Theo reflect that in Arles, he found the light and that light impacted both his art and his life.

“..nature here is extraordinarily beautiful. Everything and everywhere. The dome of the sky is a wonderful blue, the sun has a pale sulphur radiance, and it’s soft and charming, like the combination of celestial blues and yellows….” Vincent’s Letter to Theo September 1888

In September of 1888, Vincent Van Gogh painted Starry Night Over the Rhone,

While living in Arles, Vincent created numerous works of art, and in many of those pieces, he painted stars.

The Moon & the Stars — Things That Light the Night

Path in a Public Garden

“But what scenery! It’s a public garden where I am, just near the street…I’m thrilled, thrilled, thrilled with what I see.” Vincent’s Letter to Theo September  1888

In Arles, Vincent Van Gogh found temporary relief from the darkness that had pervaded his life.

“ I’m beginning to feel quite different from what I was when I came here, I have no more doubts, I no longer hesitate to tackle something…when there’s a day with no wind. What intensity of colours, what pure air, what serene vibrancy. Tomorrow I’m going to draw until the colours arrive.” Vincent’s Letter to Theo September 1888

Dark versus Light – Night versus Day – Themes in Literature

“In the last 2 years of his life, he [Vincent Van Gogh] created about 2,100 artworks, including 860 oil paintings, and 1,300 watercolor paintings and sketches.” Howie Baum