Feeder 3.1

Kelsey Kolojejchick
Feeder 3.1
Vincent van Gogh was a very accomplished Dutch post-Impressionist artist who created many masterpieces that are now known worldwide. Van Gogh’s influence on expressionism and early abstraction made a large impact in the world of art and can be seen in many other aspects of 20th century. Although van Gogh has had countless amounts of success through his artwork, this success did not happen during his lifetime. In the article, “The Illness of Vincent Van Gogh”, Wilfred Arnold acknowledges how van Gogh suffered from a debilitating illness. He mentions that his productivity was remarkable under these tough circumstances because his medical crisis was devastating. The highlights of van Gogh's life and artwork are reviewed and discussed in an effort toward better understanding of the complexity of his illness.

Vincent van Gogh’s roller coaster of a life was marked by episodes of self-mutilation and crises of hindering illness. His ailment was separated by periods of lucidity and creativity that were created by episodes of acute mental derangement and disability. He also had periods of harmful depression and physical discomfort that were so serious they provoked self mutilation and his eventual suicide. He complained of frequent gastrointestinal problems that caused fits with hallucinations and stirred up seizures. Arnold mentions conditions that have potential to be associated with his sickness. He states, “His ailment was exacerbated by overwork (letter 173), malnutrition and fasting (letters 440, 571), environmental exposure (letter B15), excessive ingestion of alcoholic beverages (letter 581, etc.), especially absinthe (letter A16), and a proclivity for camphor and other terpenes.” Arnold argues that these problems associated with van Gogh’s illness did not have proper diagnoses.

Vincent van Gogh was a patient at Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum at St. Remy for a little over a year with increasing neurologic problems. During his stay, Arnold writes that he was conversing freely and moving around the hospital which sent him home to work on his artwork. He created a famous painting “The Yellow House” but told his family there would be nothing wrong with him for a long time to come which showed a period marked by complete lucidity and impressive productivity. Arnold mentions van Gogh’s developed “affinity” for absinthe. The mood-alternating chemicals involved with this alcoholic drink are reasons of van Gogh’ use of large amounts of camphor to try and fight his insomnia. It was also an attempt to drink essence of turpentine and gives reason to his nibbling at oil colors which help explain his illness. Although he was battling alcohol, it obviously did not stop his productivity because he painted “The Night Café”, staying up for 3 nights in a row and sleep during the day. Arnold states he had a few glasses during this painting process.

Arnold argues that van Gogh’s was diagnosed with epilepsy. This is a sudden and recurring disturbance in brain function that has episodic impairment and allows someone to lose consciousness, have psychic or sensory disturbances or problems with the nervous system. Van Gogh recovered from this psychotic state and was able to paint a “Self-Portrait with Bandage Ear and Pipe” which actually shows him in calm composure. Although he was bouncing in and out of these episodes he managed to create hundreds of works of art. “Starry Night” was a masterpiece during this time period that started the recognition of his artwork. Arnold mentions this was also the start of his brother’s severe illness that put even a bigger burden on van Gogh. This made him work even more and faster creating different paintings and drawings during his stay at St. Remy. These paintings expressed his sadness and loneliness which describes one of his last paintings. Van Gogh painted “Wheat Field with Crows” which has black birds flying in a starless sky with three paths that lead nowhere. His illness is highlighted when he asked to borrow a gun to “scare the crows away” when he was painting but rather used that gun to shoot himself in the lower chest. The illnesses had reached an all time high and he could not take it anymore. “Field with Stacks of Wheat” can be argued that it is his last painting because it’s a bright picture that is a symbol of work completed.

Vincent van Gogh was not a “mad” artist but rather a brilliant man who suffered from illnesses. He was creative because of intelligence, talent and great productivity. He was a smart man in spite of his illness and proved that these complex illnesses would not affect his creative side toward his now famous artwork.