Van Gogh Wheatfield with Crows

Vincent Van Gogh, one of the most celebrated post-impressionist artists, was born on March 30, 1853, in Groot-Zundert, the Netherlands (Huntsman 137). He was raised in a cultured and moral community as the son of a preacher. Van Gogh struggled with personality and direction in his early years. His self-esteem was also poor, and he felt that God's plan for him in the world was to preach the gospel. Van Gogh found his true calling as an artist years later. Around 1860 and 1880, he decided to study art seriously after working unsuccessfully as an accountant, minister, and salesman (Huntsman 140). He stayed in Belgium to develop his career as an artist and was determined to created happiness through his great art work. His early works are sharply lit and somber-toned, with the most famous being “The Potato Eaters” which he developed in 1885. In 1886, Van Gogh joined his brother Theo in Paris who was then the manager of Goupil’s gallery (Charles and Gogh 42). During his visit, he met Gaugin, Pissaro, and Monet who were impressionist painters and from then he began to imitate their works. His dark palette became more lightened, and his long brushstrokes become shorter just like the impressionist painters. However, he was unable to fully copy all the impressionist styles and in the process developed his own conventional and bold style.

In 1888, Van Gogh went to Arles where he founded a school and hoped like-minded friends could join him. Fortunately, he was joined by Gaugin, but the result was not as expected (Veen, Gogh, and Knapp 08). Van Gogh's temper temperament, as well as night-long painting, undermined his health. According to Braver (24), towards the end of 1888, Guaguin left Arles, and Van Gogh pursued him with an open razor which he ended up cutting off his partner’s ear lobe (Veen, Gogh, and Knapp 23). From that point, Van Gogh started experiencing alternate fits of lucidity and madness and was taken for treatment. In May 1890 after the treatment, he seemed much better and was placed under the care of a doctor (Braver 25). Two months later, he died. His brief career was not painted with much success as he only managed to sell one painting, lived in poverty, overworked and was malnourished. His finest works were produced in a technique that was impassioned in brushstroke, intense color, in surface tension, symbolic and in the movement and vibration of line and form (Charles and Gogh 19). Furthermore, his inimitable fusion of content and form is dramatic, powerful, imaginative, lyrically rhythmic and emotional. These features show that he was emotionally absorbed and wanted to express his comprehension of the essence of nature and man as well as his struggle against madness. Despite his lack of success during his lifetime, Van Gogh legacy will forever be alive in the world of art. He is today viewed as one of the most influential artists who lay the foundation for modern art.

Wheat Field with Crows is one of Van Gogh’s paintings that was painted in July 1890 and is often believed to be his last painting (Charles and Gogh 36). The painting uses double square canvases that Van Gogh used in the final stages of his life. Furthermore, the painting has a lot of drama and conveys intense emotional feelings and is one of his most elemental and haunting works (Veen, Gogh, and Knapp 44). The cutoff path and the dark cloudy sky in the painting points at artist’s end. In his numerous letters, Van Gogh did not mention this mention, hence the exact date it was completed is still not clear but many would want to agree that it is not his last painting.



Contribution and Influences of Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh died over 115 years ago, and his artwork still influences how a man looks at style, individuality, persona, and beauty in art. His painting, thousands of them, have varied characteristics that have been duplicated by none but copied by thousands of people. His artwork, particularly, Wheatfield with Crows, has had an influence culturally, technologically and philosophically. What is considered as “artist persona” is mainly due to his influence. His paintings became trend setters and opened the door for a new evolution in art and décor. Not only did he inspire others to start painting but also created a trend that would continue for various personas and lifestyles. Companies have been inspired by Van Gogh to place items on different novelty items. Such a move ultimately proves that he not only influenced the art world but also the society.

Vincent Van Gogh was a post-impressionist artist and used various styles of painting to express his unique view of the world (Sabbeth 141). He used symbolic content, simplified and bold colors, and definitive and geometric forms. He further painted with emotion and was interested in the individuals, creative and subjective view of the world. Through is emotional intensity conveyed through exaggerated rhythms and expressive colors, Van Gogh connected with many art lovers. Even after his death, the German Expressionists and the Fauves adopted Vincent’s spiritually inspired and subjective use of color (Sabbeth 141). Van Gogh’s technique of expressive and sweeping brushstrokes to indicate an artist’s emotional and psychological state was also used by Abstract Expressionists. The likes of Eric Fischl and Julian Schnable also owe Vincent a debt of gratitude. In the modern day, his life has inspired numerous films and music including the Lust of Life by Vincent Minelli that explores the volatile relationship between Gaugin and Van Gogh.

Compositional Elements of Wheatfield with Crows

Vincent Van Gogh’s painting, Wheatfield with Crows is suggested to be his last painting before his alleged suicide in 1890 (Charles and Gogh 12). The painting reveals a dramatic landscape with yellow wheat and a dark sky. From the foreground of the painting is a whirling road that curls and appears to cut off leading to nowhere. The origin of the path is also unclear in the painting, but it has complementary colors. Just above the fields are several crows that fly away into the dark blue sky. A large number of crows fly away into the dark blue sky is concerning and overwhelming as a viewer of the painting may wonder the origin of the crows and their destination (Huntsman 15). Similar to his other painting, Van Gogh used oil on canvas in this particular painting. Elongated double-square canvas are used which reveal the vast nature of the fields. The vast fields are purported to be a representation of Van Gogh’s loneliness and isolation in his later life when he was taken into asylum for mental illness.

Elements of Wheatfield with Crows

Most of the analysts and historians saw an expression of a tormented Van Gogh who committed suicide afterward. The crows represent a disaster because, in the unconscious collective, crows are perceived as birds of ill omen that announce death. However, the crows are also a representation of the rhythm in the painting (Huntsman 18). The fields, the birds, and the sky all seem to be moving. In fact, the whole painting moves. Generally, the painting is dynamic and it is a complete contrast to the traditional landscape (Braver 65). The sky occupies more than a third of the pictorial space and the corn fields occupies less than a third. The painting is further built in an ascending diagonal of left to right as can be seen in the bird's direction. The foreground has hot lines of the field and two ways also go towards the same direction. The impression is reinforced by the artists’ split of the key in broad features.

The sky of storm is animated. An impression of movement is revealed as the crows move from the left to the right. Here, it is evident that Vincent works in broad keys and milked with the knife which follow a similar direction. According to Charles and Gogh (45), the manner in which the lines are split and the lines multiplied increases the impression of instability purported in the picture. With dimensions concentrated on the left side, the way is a symbol of the past and the artist works in broad rising lines. The crows are outlined as "W" in the painting which moves towards the line which is the future (Braver 68). When it comes to lighting, the painting could have been painted at night as there no indication of a source of light. The colors contrast between cold and hot.

Symbolic Interpretations

The Crows

The crows are perhaps the most powerful images in the painting. There has been a widespread symbolic interpretation of the flock of crows. Speculation revolves around whether the flock of crows is flying towards the painter or away from him. If the viewer of the paint suggests that the crows are flying towards the foreground, the work is foreboding and if the crows are flying away, there is a sense of relief (Braver 85). However, the argument is claimed to be flawed on two fronts. First, as much as the argument in the direction of the crows is spirited, it can never be resolved. There is no certain direction of the flight of the crows. Secondly, the interpretation of crows as bad omen is an artificial construct and one that Van Gogh in his works never accepted. In the contrary, Van Gogh had a passion for nature and appreciated everything including crows (Huntsman 112). Additionally, Van Gogh was aware of the use of crows and admired the works of painters who used them in their works. As much as it would be foolish to dismiss the foreboding nature of crows, the traditional interpretation of crows as a symbol of death is too conventional and over simplistic.

The Sky

From his early days as an artist, Van Gogh was fond of using stormy skies in his works. He respected the forces of nature a lot and included turbulent skies because they are powerful and full of artistic potential (Van 125). In addition, Van Gogh described the liberating possibilities of storms and claimed that pilots can sometimes use storms to make headway instead of being washed away by it. As years passed, Van Gogh’s mental well-being became battered, and his perceptions with regards to nature could have been inclined towards the negative (Huntsman 118).

The Paths

The obvious paths, past, and future can easily be equated to the separate paths in the Wheatfield with Crows. The paths include three sets: One in the middle winding toward the horizon and two in each foreground corner. The right and left foreground paths seem to defy logic as their origin is unclear as well as where they lead (Charles and Gogh 41). Some have interpreted these paths as Van Gogh’s confused nature about his life. The middle path is the only one for symbolic interpretation. Does the path lead to a disclosed destination? Or does it lead to an inescapable dead end? That decision is left for the viewer to decide.

Conclusion

The paradox in Van Gogh’s final works is better explained by Wheatfield with Crows which was arguably his last masterpiece. During the last six month of his life, Vincent's mental state was quite unstable. There are times he was in good health and control of his environment and there are times he experienced a complete mental breakdown. It is during this period that some of his moving and best works are created. There is an array of contentment and peace in the works he creates during this turbulent time in his life. Given the circumstances, how can one interpret the painting? There are those who feel that the churning wheat field and the stormy skies are an indication of Van Gogh’s mental status in his final days. Others feel that the vibrant colors and the paths are a glimmer of hope that may lead to peace eventually. Overall, the painting is unique as it is believed to be Van Gogh’s last work before he allegedly committed suicide. In addition, the painting already had a deep impact due to its vivid colors and symbolic interpretations. Personally, I believe that Van Gogh wanted to express and convey the turmoil that his life had become and his struggles that left him unsuccessful despite his natural artistic talent. From the painting, he did a good job in conveying his message with its gloomy, nightmare flock of crows in the dark blue sky and a path down the center of the wheat field. By just looking at the picture, the viewer can feel his immense solitude and loneliness. Not to add that every brushstroke seemed to shriek in agony and at the same time had a life of its own. Furthermore, it seems like every detail in the painting carried a heavy meaning and said millions of words behind the brushstrokes and vivid colors.



Works Cited

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Braver, Adam. Crows Over the Wheatfield. Place of publication not identified: HarperCollins e-Books, 2014. Internet resource.

Charles, Victoria, and Vincent . Gogh. Vincent Van Gogh. New York: Parkstone Press International, 2011. Internet resource.

Huntsman, Penny. Thinking About Art: A Thematic Guide to Art History. , 2016. Print.

Sabbeth, Carol. Van Gogh and the Post-Impressionists for Kids: Their Lives and Ideas, 21 Activities. Chicago, Ill: Chicago Review Press, 2011. Internet resource.

Van, Gogh V. The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh. New York: Constable & Robinson, 2011. Internet resource.

Veen, Wouter , Vincent . Gogh, and Peter Knapp. Van Gogh in Auvers: His Last Days. New York: Monacelli Press, 2010. Print.

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