Van Gogh to Kandinsky

Today I treated myself to a day out where I could soak up all the art and culture possible. I had had my eye on the 'Van Gogh to Kandinsky' exhibit at the Scottish National Gallery for AGES since it arrived in Edinburgh in July and I finally forced myself out and about to see it. I'm really glad I did.

I have always had a love for Edvard Munch but today in staring at two of his major works I was just awe struck and now I long to visit Norway. His use of really thick oils to detail the thinner parts of his works is really amazing to me. And it was such a joy to see.
(By the way...all of the following photos, I've had to find images of online as pictures were not permitted inside the exhibit. But if you'd like to see these painting in the flesh, I strongly recommend it!)

Edvard Munch ( Winter Night )

                     

Edvard Munch ( Man and Woman on the Beach )

Among my favorites (not including my bias Munch) were these:

Eugene Jansson ( Riddarfjarden, Stockholm)

Seeing this in the flesh and being able to step forwards and backwards to appreciate the various aspects of it's detail was just amazing! After having seen it, I can say with certainty that this jpeg just does NOT do the piece justice!!

Alphonse Osbert ( Evening Poem )

This is beauty personified as the three women seem faceless when you step up close. But stepped back you can see each of them in almost orgasmic bliss as they lose themselves in the 'Evening Poem'. Reminded me hugely of Sappho and I fell in love with this piece.

Jens Ferdinand Willumsen ( Sun Shining on the Southern Mountains )

This one caught my eye as soon as I walked into the room. It was much bigger than all the other paintings and the sunlight and use of colours really drew your attention from anything else, (including Monet who I've always got an eye out for as he's one of my tops).

August Strindberg ( Alpine Landscape I )

Strindberg's 'Alpine Landscape I' was such a surprise. Almost abstract in his use of strokes and colours I found myself morbidly drawn in. It's such a dark piece but at the same time can be so peaceful if you imagine yourself looking at what the artist would have actually seen versus what he actually painted.

Harold Sohlberg ( Midsummer Night (Nordic Motif) )

This was one of the first I saw when I entered the gallery. And instantly I was placed atop some Scandinavian hilltop looking onto the sea. It was this painting most of all that made me realize I do actually have a desire to visit Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

George Lemmen ( Beach at Heist )

This was one of the last ones I saw. And unfortunately the colours of this image do not accurately represent the colours of the painting itself. But what was amazing about seeing the piece in front of me was that you could see the various depths and layers of the paint and almost pick it apart. You could run yourself in circles and drive yourself mad trying to figure out exactly how Lemmen went about approaching this work. But no matter what it really is serene and such a joy to sit and look at for a while.

Charles Filiger ( Landscape at Le Pouldu)

This one caught my eye because of it's almost 'Dali-esque' style. However this painting originated in 1892, years before Dali. So it made me wonder if this could have been inspiring to the maddest hatter and my personal favorite, Salvador Dali. What was most interesting were the notes next to this painting stating that Filiger was a devote Catholic and that all of his works represented some ponderous thought he entertained about Christ and religion. But funnily, my loudest though was, 'WTF is with the sail boat in the background?'

Ferdinand Keller ( Bocklin's Tomb )

'Bocklin's Tomb' was one of my absolute favorites of the whole exhibit. Probably because it holds a deep personal resonance with me and where I am at within myself at the moment, but the woman playing the harp at the entrance had such an enchanting and almost seductive call that I literally sat on a bench and stared at her for ages. The atmosphere of the whole painting was enough to make you stagger and it took me a few moments to regain my mind set in order to carry on to see the other works.

Akseli Gallen-Kallela ( The Broken Pine )

'The Broken Pine' was my favorite of the entire collection. It stands so massive amongst the other paintings on it's wall. And for some reason, though the technique and style of the painting may appear to be more simplistic than the others, the feelings I got just from looking at this image almost made me lose my ability to stand. I sat on the bench before the painting and just gazed at it for what seemed like an eternity. Swimming through my mind were thoughts of, 'Where did the artist notice this pine?' and the fact that every artist (famous, dead or not) can find beauty in such common and often over looked things. I also felt for the tree, but in that 'has to die to be famous' way...I found that the tree seemed to have served an almost 'divine' purpose in as much as years later, people are admiring the beauty in it's life and death combined. To see it up-close and in person, you can see the actual folds of the outer bark and it seems to bend like paper. It reminded me of every time I'd seen a broken tree after hurricanes or tornadoes in the states...and for some reason, the fact that a TREE was broken in two and you could see into it, through it and around it...its just so magical to me.



There were many Van Gogh paintings...too many for me to list here. These are just my favorites of the exhibit and though I would have liked to post all of the wonderful paintings...the exhibit is just too big for me to do so.

So if you're in or around Edinburgh or if you intend to travel here before the end of September, I really suggest you visit the Scottish National Gallery and for a mere tenner go see these works. You won't regret it!!!


Lots of Love,
Erin
xxx