Still Life with Bible 1885

Vincent van Gogh made this painting of a bible with oil on canvas at some point in his short life. The heavy impasto of the paint gives the artwork a tactile quality, almost as if the books are built rather than painted. Van Gogh's technique here is particularly interesting, and his brushstrokes apply a thick layer of paint to capture the textures and forms. This wasn’t a typical way of painting. Rather than mixing colors smoothly, he loaded the brush and applied it directly to the canvas. This method gave his paintings a sense of immediacy and raw emotion. The texture also adds to the sense of weight, both literally and figuratively. While not necessarily employing craft or industrial techniques, the materiality of his painting itself becomes a statement. The thickness, application, and very stuff of the paint adds to the painting, giving it social and cultural significance. So, next time you look at a painting, think about how it was made. The process and materials are just as important as the subject matter, and might just change how you see the artwork.