The Drawings of Vincent van Gogh

“In addition to recognizing the profound beauty of van Gogh’s work, Lloyd’s book fosters an appreciation for the artist’s authentic expression, and a sense of awe regarding the ferocity of his devotion.”

Vincent van Gogh was a groundbreaking artist who struggled throughout his life to gain recognition. Today, he is an icon of Post Impressionism revered for an affecting and voluminous body of work that exemplifies the Post Impressionist technique. Distinguished art historian, Christopher Lloyd, in The Drawings of Vincent van Gogh, examines van Gogh’s works on paper, which represent the genesis of his style.

Van Gogh was not formally trained in art, but he was passionate about culture and the arts. Prior to deciding to focus on art as a profession, he worked as an evangelist and had little financial means. Life in an impoverished working community colored his world view and inspired many works depicting the rigors of working life. It was in his late 20s when Vincent ultimately decided to focus on becoming an artist.

Drawing from his life experiences, he began producing works on paper. Numerous sketch books are cited as an enduring record of van Gogh’s process. Lloyd also draws on the trove of letters the artist wrote to family members, mostly to his brother and benefactor Theo. These letters were often embellished by drawings that Vincent belittled in referring to them as scratches or scribbles. Self-taught with only occasional formal instruction, even in the most formative phase, van Gogh’s determination to express himself through art was inspired and compelling.

Van Gogh forged ahead on the path to becoming an artist. The works on paper are the earliest and most intimate examples of his developing approach. An intense sense of purpose to maximize the visual impact charged the tendency to employ distinct methods. He focused on achieving authentic expression of what was in his heart and was not preoccupied with acquiring academic skills. In describing van Gogh’s work author Lloyd cites “a unique physicality,” and he refers to “openly displayed lines, erasures, fixes, errant scratches, and rubbed out areas” that highlight the artist’s hand. Lloyd’s comment is revealing, “van Gogh’s drawings are at the best of times a fractious and totally committed affair or, at worst, an assault.”

“It is no exaggeration to say that he adapted or improvised upon nearly all the traditional techniques of drawing and, in the process became acutely conscious of the visual impact and physical properties of pencil, pen, brush, ink, charcoal, chalk and watercolour.”

Financial necessity also drove unconventional choices in materials. Van Gogh was poor and solely reliant on his brother Theo for financial support. Since art supplies were costly, Vincent would seek out more affordable materials. As it happened, these materials imbued the drawings with a unique quality. For example, his use of milk: “Of particular interest is his habit of fixing drawings with milk (sometimes diluted with water) as a way of unifying the surface, but also as protection against subsequent rubbing or wear. The fixative would be loosely brushed on or sometimes flicked over the surface with the fingers.”

Ultimately the artist realized that in order to be successful, he also needed to master the basics.  In the quest for mastery, van Gogh closely followed other artists, using their works as a guide; read illustrated manuals that instructed in practical problems and materials; consulted with practicing artists; and even enrolling in classes.

Lloyd categorizes van Gogh’s works on paper into five themes: figures in the human predicament, multi-figured narrative compositions, depictions of place, lively landscapes, and intimate portraiture. Documenting Lloyd’s examination are two hundred and ten illustrations from museums around the world.

Christopher Lloyd’s The Drawings of Vincent van Gogh is an illuminating examination of van Gogh’s extensive body of works on paper. These images reveal the intimate relationship of the artist to his art. In addition to recognizing the profound beauty of van Gogh’s work, Lloyd’s book fosters an appreciation for the artist’s authentic expression, and a sense of awe regarding the ferocity of his devotion.