Important document – “brothel-letter” of van Gogh and Gauguin for about 200’000 Euro versteigertEin Amsterdam Museum a Letter of the two artists has acquired the common artist friend Émile Bernard in 1888.0 commentary photo: KeystoneVan Gogh, and Gauguin wrote the letter in November of 1888 to the artist Emile Bernard. Photo: keystone photo: Keystone1 / 4
The Van Gogh Museum has purchased a art-historically important letter from the painter Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin from 1888 until.
On the four sides, the painters describe their intensive period in the South of France, Arles. The Foundation of the Museum had bought the letter at an auction in Paris for around 200’000 euros, said the Museum on Wednesday.
The letter of the Dutchman, van Gogh (1853-1890) and his French colleagues Gauguin (1848-1903) was addressed to the common artist friend Émile Bernard. It was “a dialogue of the painter,” said the Museum’s, and the most important document of van Gogh, which was still privately owned. The letter is to be presented starting in the autumn in an exhibition.
About the future of modern art
“The letter is a visionary description of their artistic collaboration and the future of modern art.” He is, according to the Museum an insight into the very different characters of the painter.
the letter deals with the regular brothel Visits of the two Post-Impressionists – and their admiration for each other. He bears the signature of both artists. Van Gogh and Gauguin wrote the letter to Bernard in two days of November in the year 1888, less than two years before Van Gogh’s death at the age of only 37 years. Both emphasize their claim to renew the modern art. It was a “huge Renaissance” of art in progress, writes Van Gogh.
The famous Dutch painter describes but also his relationship to Gauguin, the interest him “as a man” very much. He had long been of the view that “in our dirty profession as painters is a huge demand for people with working hands, and stomachs, with natural flavor and a more loving and generous Temperament is more generous than the decadent and Parisian Boulevardiers exhausted have it”.
Together with Gauguin, he had taken “some excursions in the brothels,” writes Van Gogh more. It was “likely that we often end up there to work”.
Two artists side-by-side
Gauguin comes only on the last page of the letter to word. There he reiterates his idea of a “future in the tropics as a painter”. Gauguin’s paintings from the South seas were later known to the world. He died in 1903 in French Polynesia.
Gauguin and Van Gogh spent as of the end of 1888, several months together in Arles and painted side-by-side. During Gauguin’s stay in Arles, there was that infamous incident in which Van Gogh cut his ear to give to a prostitute. The incident ended, finally, the tensions characterised the relationship between Gauguin and Van Gogh.
(SDA / step)
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