Page 42 - DIVA_3_2009

Astonishing Van Gogh in Basel: Between

Earth and Heaven

took to painting instead. He was not a copycat at all,
Against all odds he successful- altl'iough he was acquainted
ly fortnd a style of lus own, one with the stars of the moment in
that with broad strokes and Pai'is (see at the same time the
heavy w'th paint bi'iishes chan- exibit dedicated to Van Gogh
ged for ever the way we see Contemporaries at the
Provence or a tower or a wit+d- Kunshnuseum Basel). In his
mill, and not least the olive or final year (1890), foind his
cypress tree we see, still, own way, andwe are happy and
around. grateful for that. From point to
point Van Gogh developed lffs
A magician of conceit, one can style of strongly colourful
fu'id butteiflies hidden in the forms done with solid stroke of
gl'aSS, lnSeS Or pOppleS emer- paint to foim a toi'inented sky

ging in a field of wheat or in or, as in The Olives with an
those long green gardens of his unusual dynamic, or as in the
srii'oundings either inArles, St. Cypress with oscillatory foliage
Vincent Van Gogh's 70 master- with the immensity of its glo- Remy or Auvers; spirits in the in a tree which canopy has
pieces, conceived between i'ious stroke of genius. Gallete in Paris, and beauty in finally reached heaven.
1883 and 1890, with one theme the industi'ial fiimes. He painted Energetic, brushful, those
- landscapes - astonish visitors The exhibit of tlie Landscapes iii full colotirs when in fact lffls Lai'idscapes from Arles, the
to the Ktinstinriseurn of Basel. shows how Van Gogh celebra- mood was in decay. He sh'oked sanatoriun at St. Remy and
They come to this ainazing city ted the glory of creation; l'ffs the canvass with energetic from Arivers, to say it in sliort,
by the e by the fliousands topics reaffinning his complete dynamism when in fact his soul Provence or Le Midi de la
to witness the most important assrimption of the etemal cycle was iinploiig clemency from France, bear Vaii Gogh's own
European ait event in 2009, to of natiu'e's renewable forces all the gliosts who iinpi'isoned signatiire of a new -his- style
be closed on September 27. aiid with it, lffs own personal hiin. haviiig probably foind what l'ie
and intense inner conriection, as told his brother Theo: a more
Between eaitli and heaven: one can gather from admiring Landscapes offers a very easy masculine desi@i and ii'idivi-
landscapes by Vicent van The Wtteatfield (HonoMu way to understand Vaii Gogli's dually free.
Gogh, is the fu'st tiine ever that Academy of Aits), Peacli blos- h'irunphal conqriest of the cons-
a collection dedicated to the som in the Crau (The Corirtauld tant movement in paints cove- How to see the 70 masterpieces

scenery su'rorinding the daily Gallery) or the formidable and ting foliage, clorids, peoples, the Basel Fine Arts Museuin
life of the great arkist lias been majestic The olive trees (The flowers, birds and iiisects. Not has put together for oir own
pulled together. Intelligently Museun of Modern Ait, NY). to mention his omnipresent enjoyment? One by one. Don't
set up by the Cominissioners fields of wlieat or grooves of be afraid of the masses of visi-
Dr. Bernhard Mendes Brirgi, Basel, wlio would envision it as olive and cypress trees, wl'ffch tors, just concentrate and adini-
Dr. Niiia Zumrier, and Walter a city of cultiire? In most peo- become the most impoitant re each one of those ait works
Feilchenfeldt, the exhibition of ple's inind it is related to the place in lffs work duing lus of the earless man with an obs-
tlie works of the legendary Swiss phaimaceutical entei'pri- stay in Saint Rernis wluch coin- essive taste for Japanese gra-

painter focrises on a candent ses. So, one can easily get the cided with the aggravation of pl'iics. And, take all the tiine
topic of actuality: nahire. A wrong impression when it is, in his illness. Is there a relations- you need to give yorirself a
message goes throrigl'i: one has fact, one of the most active cul- hip herc? Olives and cypress great pleasrire.
to take care of eaith to get iiito tiu'al liubs in &irope, as one can are trees reminiscent of death, Kyra Ni:iriez
heaven... tl'ie opposite of what gatlier from the interesting fotuid in cemetei'ies and ii'i tl'ie
we are experiencing today. ii'ifoi'ination provided by tlie Calvaiy of Jesus Clu'ist.
Toririst Office. It lias more tban
Sponsored by {JBS AG, with 40 museui'ns and dozen of foun- In a sort of desperate mood, lie
loans fiom some 48 iiistihitions dations and art patrons to pro- painted madly du'ing lus stay iii
and patrons, tlie spectacular iriote knowledge and love for Auvers and produced 75 pain-
exhibition is makiiig histoiy in tbose good things tliat culture tings iii 70 days even thorigli he
Basel. Not just becarise there biiiig about: paiiitiiigs, tnrisic, couldn't work daily; he left us
are some paiiitings rarely seen food, people and, why not, also ait fiill with expectation for a
by the general priblic sucli as: gossip... didyouknowthatVan better life and even better

Entrance to the Voyer park in Gogli's early intentions were to tomorrow. He was iii a way
Asni6res, Apricots in Arles, become a preacher? Yes, lie using liis compositions to
Wheatfield witli view over cven tried liard attending preach a message of traiiscen-
Auvers, )xit also for the great- scliools just to be rejected; he dence: we are terresti'ial yet
ness of others. Tlie celebrated wasn't good enough. He tried celestial. Our destiny: from
Cypresses (Juiii 1889) tops the even liarder: went selling bibles earth to lieaven, from dust to
list. It holds oir emotion at bay door to door, no success. He stardust.
40 3 2009 Diva
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