Vincent van Gogh

11 October 2019 – 13 January 2020
The Ueno Royal Museum

 
*Updated on 13 October

 
The Ueno Royal Museum will soon host a major van Gogh exhibition, tracing the career of the 19th century master (1853-90). After Tokyo, the show will travel to Hyogo prefecture in Western Japan.

Highlights of the “Vincent van Gogh” exhibition

The exhibition traces Vincent van Gogh’s career starting from the Hague, through Paris, Arles, Saint-Remy and finally to Auvers-sur-Oise. Two aspects that influenced profoundly his work – The Hague School and the Impressionism – are highlighted with some 40 original paintings of van Gogh and 30 by contemporary artists such as Mauve, Cézanne and Monet.

These works, on loan from 25 museums and collections in 10 countries around the world, are displayed, together with citations of letters that van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo.

The show is curated by Benno Tempel, director of The Hague Museum of Art (Kunstmuseum Den Haag).

The Hague School

Van Gogh made his decision to become a painter at the age of 27. He self-educated in the basics and painted with realist painters in the Hague School, such as Anton Mauve (1838–1888) and Matthijs Maris (1839-1917).

The foundation of van Gogh’s painting was laid during this period, when he painted realist landscapes and everyday life of farmers.

Vincent van Gogh
“Worn Out” 1881
© P. & N. de Boer Foundation

Vincent van Gogh
“The Head of a Peasant Woman” 1885
© National Galleries of Scotland, photography by A Reeve

Vincent van Gogh
“The Potato Eaters” 1885
© Kunstmuseum Den Haag

The Impressionism

 Van Gogh moved to Paris where his brother Theo lived. There he met leading artists of the time and absorbed the latest trends and techniques, from Japanese ukiyo-e to the Impressionism. He changed his style dramatically, with bright colours and intense brush strokes.

Among the highlights here besides works by van Gogh are original paintings of Camille Pissarro (1830 – 1903), Paul Cézanne (1839 –1906) and Claude Monet (1840 – 1926).

Vincent van Gogh
“Entrance to Voyer d’Argenson Park at Asnières”
Photo © The Israel Museum, Jerusalem by Elie Posner

Vincent van Gogh
“Wheatfield” 1888
© P. & N. de Boer Foundation

Vincent van Gogh
Cypresses
Image copyright © The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image source: Art Resource, NY