Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1889 © Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania (detail)

First visit booked Monday 23rd September 2024, 2:30pm. Then weekly until 4th November.

Booked 12th November - 3rd December, Tuesdays at 10:30am.

View of Arles, 1889
Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen - Neue Pinakothek, Munich
(detail)

Landscape at Saint-Rémy
(Enclosed Field with Peasant), 1889
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Gift of James W Fesler
(detail)

The Poet's Garden
(Public Garden in Arles), 1888
(detail)

The Poet's Garden (detail)

A first visit to the exhibition on Monday 23rd of September and it was very busy.

There were often six people deep waiting to move in and briefly view the paintings. I found that viewing from the side and not getting in the way suited my purposes very well as often the paintings had the most lyrical passages away from the center of the compostions anyway.

The lighting often meant that the clear view was to one side as well.

I have picked a few details to show here and I will undoubtedly use my Monday bookings through to 4th November in full.

I found that the initial impact of the exhibition was somewhat overwhelming, not least because I could identify so closely with the 'vision' and handling of the paint by the artist. It was quite a 'homecoming' in that respect and did bring on an emotional response, I have to admit!

A further detail from The Poet's Garden.

Second visit, Monday 30th September.

I arrived more or less 'on time' at 2:30pm and found that the number of visitors was similar to the first visit. There is however a noticeable surge at the beginning of a timed entry so the crowds dissipate beyond the initial rooms and there is a chance to go back into less crowded spaces.

I quite quickly found myself drawn to a small number of the paintings feeling less overwhelmed by the exhibition.

The Poet's Garden
(Public Garden in Arles), October 1888
oil on canvas
73 x 92 cm

View of Arles, detail

View of Arles, detail

View of Arles, Flowering Orchards
1989
oil on canvas
72 x 92 cm
Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen - Neue Pinakothek, Munich

The tops of many of the paintings are lost in the framing shadow. The frames are often heavy and gilded which makes looking quite hard work even without the tastefully chosen wall colours throughout the exhibition!

I did not initially 'see' the canal in the foreground of the View of Arles, just noticed the 'flat' rendition.