The Real Van Gogh

There is one word to describe the The Real Van Gogh, The Artist and his Letters at the Royal Academy : intense.

From the moment you step into the first of seven rooms the true character of one of the world’s superstar artists, often seen  as crazy and tortured shines through. He loved his art, he lived for it and, ultimately, died for it. Through this show, we see Van Gogh not just through the haze of his well known mental illness, but as a beacon of talent, commitment, intelligence and hard work.

For this exhibition on the Dutch painter, the first in London in over 40 years, is show-stopping not only because we can we revel in his glorious canvasses but also read his numerous and compulsive letters to, in the main, his brother and patron Theo and also to his youngest sister Willemien and artists Van Rappard and Gaugin - the latter with whom he spent a tempestuous two months in Arles, France and led to the infamous ear-cutting incident.

His letters reveal the mind of the self-taught artist, his effort, his intentions and his feelings. The show strips away the hype and misconceptions surrounding Van Gogh and presents him as open and thoughtful, displaying eloquence in both words and pictures.

Van Gogh was self-taught and decided to become an artist at the age of 27, after trying a career as a preacher. But the spiritual zeal, the belief in something bigger and higher than himself translates into his work.
The show charts his beginnings with dark, pen and ink, charcoal and pencil drawings. He was struggling with perspective, both in his art and  his life. These initial rooms are quite oppressive, as we seem to join Van Gogh in his struggles to find his art.

But as the exhibition - and the artist- progresses we are taken on his journey. When he spent time in Provence Van Gogh discovered colour: vivid, expressive, emotional, vibrant hues of sparkling light, flowers, fields. It is these masterful landscapes that the artist is best known for, and his genius shines through. And the best part is that, through his letters, we view the works from his point of view.

Yet his words also betray a profound loneliness. There has been much speculation over the cause of the mental illness that plagued Van Gogh, from epilepsy and bipolar to schizophrenia and inhaling paint fumes.But by the end of this exhibition we see the complexity of the man and see how defining him by his illness does him a great disservice.

Van Gogh succeeded in his quest to become a great artist -  and then some. But, sadly, only after his own torment wiped out his incredible talent.
Van Gogh shot himself in the chest on 27th July 1890 aged just 37 and died two days later, having sold just one painting. His final letter to his brother Theo was found on his body. “ Well, I have risked my life for my work and it has cost me half my reason,” he wrote.
Words and pictures could no longer provide a balm for him.

But his legacy is that, through his work, we can experience the joy of nature, the beauty of friendship, the complexities of identity and muse on the very nature of the human experience.
And that was surely what the real Van Gogh was all about.

The Real Van Gogh, The Artist and His Letters sponsored by BNY Mellon at the Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD until 18th April