Van Gogh in Britain
Fabulous exhibition at Tate Britain looking at the effect Van Gogh’s time in Britain on
his art and in turn of his art of British Artists.
This was quite a
complex story to tell in one show particularly as Van Gogh wasn’t a practicing
artist when he lived in Britain but the show set out a clear narrative which it
led you though gradually and clearly. Questions it raised in your mind it had
answered by the end of the show.
You were led into
the story with a set of prints from Gustave Dore’s London: A Pilgrimage,
published the year before Van Gogh arrived. He later collected copies of these
prints which appeared later in the show with works by him that were influenced
by them. I loved a room which brought together pictures Van Gogh recorded
having seen in his letters in one room and hung them with later works by him
that picked up similar themes and motifs.
Another room
concentrated on how he was influenced by black and white prints which were seen
as a particularly British art form. It looked at the work of The Graphic, a
reforming newspaper, which showed him how an artist could contribute to
society. The room also looked at the role of prints throughout his career.
The section on
his influence on British art started with Roger Fry’s famous Manet and the
Post-Impressionists exhibition from 1910 which included a rolling screen of the
20 Van Gogh’s which were included in that show. It also had a Vanessa Bell
portrait of Roger Fry as she was one of the first British artists to be
influenced by his work.
I loved the room which looked at the effect of
Sunflowers being bought and displayed by the National Gallery in 1923. It was
shown centrally in the room and surrounded by pictures of yellow flowers by
British artists including Chris Wood and Winifred Nicholson. The show ended by
looking at the effect of Van Gogh’s death and the publication of his letters in
building the idea of the troubled artist and how his illness and death became
integral to the interest in his art.
As well as having
a strong narrative the show brought together some great Van Gogh pictures
including some I hadn’t seen before including a beautiful large picture of a
tree trunk which set the yellows of the wood against a beautiful blue sky.
Closes 11 August
2019
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