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Van Gogh Retrospective Rated Best in Asia

“The Sower” (1888) is considered one of the most ambitious works Vincent Van Gogh made while he was living in Arles. The painting, bursting with intense bright colors and energy, is currently on display at the Seoul Museum of Art as part of the on-going Van Gogh retrospective. / Korea Times Photo by Cathy Rose A. Garcia By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter The rare opportunity to see Vincent Van Gogh's masterpieces in Seoul is not one to be missed, especially since the directors of the Van Gogh Museum and Kroller-Muller Museum from the Netherlands are calling ``Van Gogh: Voyage into the Myth'' one of the best Van Gogh exhibitions ever in Asia. The first Van Gogh retrospective in Seoul officially opened Saturday, with hundreds flocking to the Seoul Museum of Art over the weekend for a glimpse of the Dutch artist's works. ``This is the highest quality exhibition of Van Gogh's works in the last few years. This is probably the best exhibition in 50 years that came to Asia," Dr. Evert J. Van Straaten, director of the Kroller-Muller Museum, told The Korea Times in an interview. Among the 67 works on display are iconic masterpieces such as ``Irises," ``Country road in Provence by night," ``The Yellow House," ``The Sower," and ``Self-portrait." The 45 oil paintings and 22 drawings are on loan from the Kroller-Muller Museum in Otterlo and Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. ``I envy the people who are going to look at the many paintings and drawings of Van Gogh for the first time because I think that can be a revelation… I think the exhibition that we selected and proposed is of a very high quality and good choice. This is actually quite a lot from our holdings, and so I think this is one of the best exhibitions ever to go abroad," Van Straaten said. The Kroller-Muller Museum only lends Van Gogh's works for a major exhibition every three or four years. Axel Ruger, director of the Van Gogh Museum, said the exhibition will allow people to see Van Gogh's development as an artist. In an interview with The Korea Times, he offers a few suggestions on how viewers can best enjoy the exhibition. ``Visitors should look at his works and just appreciate the way they are painted, the very fluid, energetic brushstrokes. When you look at the surface, you can see how beautiful the surface texture is, and the very vibrant, energetic colors. It is the energy and vibrancy of his works that are very exciting. That's what you look for because otherwise, these are everyday subjects, landscapes and portraits. The way it's painted, that's the true excitement," Ruger said. Born in Zundert, Netherlands in 1853, Van Gogh only decided to become an artist when he was 27 years old. The exhibition traces Van Gogh's 10-year career until his tragic death in 1890. The exhibition starts with the Dutch period (1881-1885), when Van Gogh started painting. This period is represented by dark, realistic paintings such as ``Man at table" and ``Peasant women digging potatoes"; and lithographs of ``Sorrow," a nude woman crouched down in sadness; and ``The Potato eaters," a group of peasants sharing a meal. Van Gogh's Paris period (1886-1888) is characterized by his experimentation with color, as seen with the cityscapes and flower still life paintings. Among the representative works are ``Roses and peonies," ``Flowers in a blue vase" and the ``Self-portrait," where he depicted himself in a straw hat and a yellow waistcoat edged in red. In 1889, he moved to Arles, where he created paintings with intense colors and energy. The works from the Arles period includes ``The Sower," bursting with vivid yellow color; ``The Yellow house (The street)," depicting the home where he stayed in Arles; and ``Portrait of Joseph Roulin," a portrait of a postman. Van Gogh committed himself to a psychiatric asylum in Saint-Remy in May 1889. During the Saint-Remy period, he created the ``Irises," as well as religious themed works such as ``Pieta" and ``Good Samaritan." ``Country road in Provence by night," created entirely from his imagination, is said to be the last work Van Gogh made in Saint-Remy. He left the asylum in May 1890, and moved to Auvers-sur-Oise. Among the representative works included in the exhibition are ``Chestnut trees in blossom" and ``Ears of wheat." Ruger said people continue to be fascinated with Van Gogh and his works because of what they know about his life. ``It is what we know about the artist. His life was relatively short, a tragic but exciting life. I think this is what connects us to the artist on several different levels," Ruger said. Van Straaten said he was impressed with the Korean organizers who worked hard to bring Van Gogh's works to Seoul. ``We thought that especially since Korea was asking so ambitiously and fervently, we agreed to have an exhibition. We also like very much that from the ancient times, Netherlands had a relationship with Korea. … Van Gogh was Dutch but we consider Van Gogh of the whole world. He is, in a sense, the Dutch gift to the world," Van Straaten said. The Hankook Ilbo, the sister company of The Korea Times, organized the event with the Seoul Museum of Art and KBS Korea. The exhibition runs through March 16, and is open Tuesday to Sunday. It is closed every Monday. Tickets are 12,000 won for adults, 10,000 for students (13-18 years old), and 8,000 won for children (7-12 years old). For more information, visit www.vangoghseoul.com (Korean, English available).