London: About van Gogh

Van Gogh’s correspondence

Alongside van Gogh’s paintings, the Royal Academy presents letters exchanged with the painter’s younger brother, Theo. This correspondence gives visitors to the exhibition the opportunity to learn more about the artist’s thoughts and inner life. Was van Gogh really the brilliant painter who crossed the boundary into madness so completely that he even cut off his own ear and took his own life? Vincent van Gogh’s letters reveal a highly cultivated and thoughtful person, bearing little resemblance to the image of an obsessed, mad artist. In particular, the combination of 65 paintings and 30 drawings with van Gogh’s letters in the London exhibition shows that Vincent van Gogh as a person must be understood not only through his art, but also through his letters.

Vincent van Gogh, a man of words

The handwritten letters by Vincent van Gogh presented by the Royal Academy as part of the London exhibition are often accompanied by sketches or drawings. In them, the painter discusses in great detail his choice of subjects and colours, as well as the progress of his work. These letters quickly make clear that van Gogh was not only a gifted painter, but also an exceptionally talented writer. They also reveal his deep bond with nature, as in a letter written to his brother Theo in 1882: “It is the artist’s duty to study nature and to devote all his intelligence and feelings to making his work understandable to others.”

By presenting van Gogh’s paintings alongside his letters, the Royal Academy’s 2010 exhibition in London becomes an event unlike any seen before, offering interested visitors many fascinating new insights into the life of Vincent van Gogh the man.