What’s the old saying? ‘Behind every famous man is a hard working woman’ .
Once again, it’s not surprising to find that behind a famous man was a hard working woman running the show. Take a moment to think about it, women are strong, excellent multi-taskers and good at trusting their gut.
With this in mind, did you know one of the reasons Van Gogh’s paintings became as famous as they did was as a result of his sister-in-law, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger? Yep, after her husband’s death (Theo, Vincent’s younger brother) she took over Vincent’s legacy. In other words, with great determination she worked to established contacts and relationships with some of the most famous galleries and museums in the world, many of which were in Germany. Yes, Van Gogh had the talent, but his sister-in-law had the vision.
Who was Vincent Van Gogh?
All of you, I’m sure, are familiar with the famous artist that is Vincent Van Gogh, the Father of Modernism. He is after all, one of the greats. I have to admit I was shocked at how little I knew about him until I went on an English tour of his exhibition at the Städel Museum. I’m not one to normally join a guided tour but I decided to tag along with the Newcomers Meetup and I’m so glad I did. It was thoroughly enjoyable and very educational. Now I’m not going to go into loads of detail about Van Gogh or the exhibition as I am here to encourage you to go and see it for yourself. But I would recommend signing up for a guided tour as you’ll learn about Vincent and his crazy life. The real reason he became famous. Maybe some conspiracy theories. Or perhaps you’ll just learn more about his art and that he was ahead of his time when it came to paint colours and his painting techniques. Also, you’ll learn how Germany played a vital role in his career and also his success. Yes, even the Städel Museum, played a part.
I would encourage you to go on a guided tour (whichever language you fancy) and then explore the exhibition again on your own. Give yourself some time to soak in his work and the work of his fan club (yes many painters have tried to copy him) .
The exhibition is perfect for the little ones as well. My daughter has been studying Van Gogh at school and was very keen to see his work in person. After you’ve seen the exhibition, hop into the gift shop and buy yourself an ear magnet. Just a little keep sake. hahaha
Good to know:
- exhibition runs at the Städel Museum until the 2/16/2020
- For more information about the exhibition please visit the Städel Museum website here.
- You may also like to visit the Schirn and Museum Angewandte Kunst