Thistles 1888

Editor: So, this is Van Gogh's "Thistles," painted in 1888, using oil on canvas. It's currently at the Tate Modern. The textures are incredibly vivid, and the colours really pop, particularly in the foreground. It makes me wonder about what message he's trying to portray, or whether he's trying to capture a very specific moment in nature. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, let's consider Van Gogh's state of mind and the prevailing artistic climate. Painted in Arles, during a period of intense creative activity but also increasing mental instability, this work speaks volumes about his relationship with the natural world and, perhaps, his own internal struggles. Editor: Interesting. You see his mental state reflected here? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the choice of thistles – prickly, resilient plants often seen as weeds. Does it symbolize the artist’s own feeling of being an outsider, struggling against societal norms, and his own personal torment, even as he finds a strange beauty in this supposedly undesirable flora? Think also about the late 19th-century art market: landscapes were becoming increasingly popular, seen as expressions of national identity. But Van Gogh doesn't offer a conventionally picturesque scene; instead, we get this almost brutally honest portrayal of uncultivated nature. Editor: I see what you mean. He’s taking something often overlooked and making it the focal point, almost defiantly so. So, his choices were inherently political, too, by simply painting something in such a raw manner? Curator: Precisely. It's about questioning what we value, what we deem worthy of representation. Even the heavy impasto, that thick application of paint, rebels against academic traditions of smooth, polished surfaces. Editor: Wow, I didn't think about that. I was just focused on the colours. Now I’m looking at it from an angle I didn’t consider before. Thanks for opening my eyes. Curator: My pleasure. It's amazing how a single image can reveal so much about the artist and the world they inhabited, once you begin to consider its context.