View of Vessenots near Auvers 1890

Editor: Here we have Van Gogh’s "View of Vessenots near Auvers", painted in 1890, rendered in oil paint. It has an almost dizzying effect, a shimmering landscape. What do you see when you look at this piece? Curator: Initially, I am struck by the artist's mastery of impasto and color modulation to convey the sensory experience of a landscape. Observe the calculated chaos in brushstrokes. Note how he does not blend colour, but he applies it in small strokes such that the observer must create cohesion of hues. Are you aware of how this heightens the perception of texture? Editor: Yes, definitely. It’s like the paint itself becomes the subject. But what’s the purpose of all that layering? Curator: One can consider it an intensified expression of reality through subjective mark-making. What feeling do the upward strokes of the fields create in you? Editor: An energy, a vibrancy. It’s almost overwhelming, but also captivating. Curator: Precisely! And this occurs through a rigorous employment of formal devices. Colour, texture, composition, how does each guide your perception? Editor: I see now how it all connects – the energy of the brushstrokes, the contrasting colours, it's all there to create this very specific, very intense experience of viewing the landscape. I never thought about just the physical marks creating such impact! Curator: Art allows that formal understanding informs the contextual and the experiential, if one focuses first on these details. Editor: It’s given me a whole new perspective, considering not just the subject, but the very building blocks of the painting itself. Thank you!