Van Gogh in the Netherlands 2

It was my second time to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which contains the largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings in the world. I was so happy to visit there again and re-discover the beauty of Van Gogh's paintings including his most famous Sunflower and some of his self portraits.



The museum provides a detailed account of Van Gogh's artist life, including presenting his painting and decorating tools, drafts and personal letters. It also compares his paintings to works by other artists from the 19th century in the collection. (My brother and I both agreed that Van Gogh's was not that talented compared to other artists such as Monet and Camille Pissarro)

Anyway I found lots of well-painted works of Van Gogh in the museum after the 4 hour visit.
1. Apples 1887

After moving to Paris, Van Gogh met the founders and key artists of Impressionism and Pointillism and he transformed their colours and techniques in his still-life paintings. I was amazed by the background of this painting. The original setting is diffused by the directional swirls of coloured brushstroke, which reminds me of Monet's Blue Water Lilies.



2.Vase with Gladioli and China Asters

I like the bright colours and looser brushstrokes in this painting. If you observe it closely, you can see how thick the brush is.

3. Seascape near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer

I like the contrast in this painting created in this painting. Tranquil sky vs Wavy sea. Van Gogh stacked the paint on top of each layer, creating a thinker and defined colour for the sea. He also used blue, green and orange to paint the water in which i find fascinating. The painting depicts flow and balance through the use of these colours and directions of brush strokes, creating waves and tides in the sea. 

In contrast, the layer of the sky is rarely thin and the clouds are slowly drifting over the landscape.

4.Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat

Van Gogh painted over 30 self-portraits between the years 1886 and 1889. His collection of self-portraits places him among the most prolific self-portraitists of all time. He painted this one when he was in Paris. His eyes stare out from his face in half-profile and express his world-weariness. He seems to search for his identity and his style in the artist world.