Exhibition reveals Van Gogh's secrets

Amsterdam, May 2 (IANS/EFE) A new exhibition at Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum gives visitors an opportunity to learn the secrets of Dutch master Vincent van Gogh (1853-90).

"Van Gogh at work", which opened Wednesday, shows how the artist crafted his paintings and other works, and marks the 160th anniversary of his birth.

"Over 200 works of art provide insight into Van Gogh's way of working, including paintings, works on paper, letters and personal effects of the painter, such as his original sketchbooks, paint tubes and only surviving palette, from the Musee d'Orsay in Paris," the museum said in a statement.

The exhibition, which runs until Jan 12, 2014, tries to shatter some of the myths about the artist, such as the idea that he lived in isolation and was a genius who produced his work spontaneously.

"Van Gogh was an artist who worked very hard to be one and he was not one of those types of instant geniuses that we have believed," museum managing director Rik van Koesveld said during the exhibition's unveiling on Wednesday.

"He was also not a man who was isolated professionally and even though he did not have the ability to form social relationships, he did interact with other professionals," Van Koesveld said.

Experts at the museum, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, contend that Van Gogh, who specialized in colour contrasts, liked to experiment, producing 800 paintings and 1,000 drawings in 10 years.

"Colour plays an essential role in Van Gogh's work; he chose his combinations carefully, striving for powerful contrasts. Applying paint shows that Van Gogh never stopped experimenting with ways of using paint," the museum said.

--IANS/EFE

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