Cathy's Art Diary

Interesting exhibition at the Van Goh Museum in Amsterdam comparing the art of Munch and Van Gogh which shared many stylist themes although they never met. Both artists were inspired by similar artists who had painted traditional themes and both their first famous works, The Potato Eaters for Van Gogh and Morning for Munch drew on this tradition. They were both in Paris at about the same time and it was interesting to see how they each drew on what was happening around them and to see other works that were contemporary to their time there such as a beautiful scene from a balcony by Caillebotte. Both had also worked on the idea of pictures forming a decorative programme, Van Gogh with his pictures for the Yellow House and Munch’s Frieze of Life, and the top floor had AV displays which recreated these and you realised how many of the pictures from them you had seen in the show. There were some interesting hangings of similar pictures together to gently let your eye draw...

Insightful exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam of contemporary artists responses to letters from Van Gogh. The work was scattered around the galleries and provided some useful insights into Van Gogh’s work and life as well as producing interesting new work inspired by it. I must admit I was there to ‘do’ Van Gogh I didn’t pay all the works a lot of attention but some caught my eye and made me try to find out more. It was also a good way of getting more of the letters into the displays. I didn’t realise at the time that an interesting sphere on the wall with a grey middle which was saying something about colour was by Anish Kapoor! I liked Maria Barnes comment on fame, four black dripping trophies, reflecting on the fact Van Gogh wasn’t famous in his life time and yet here we were in a huge museum dedicated to his work. The show also included work by writers imaging a letter to them written by Van Gogh which could be read or listened to. My favourite pi...