van Gogh's Palette
Breaking the mold
When we examine the vast collection of Van Gogh’s oil paintings one can often determine his frame of mind upon execution; this in turn gives us a relevant timeframe.
van Gogh's Palette
How lovely yellow is! ~VvG
Vincent’s use of color became increasingly more vibrant after he moved to Paris, and continued to flourish during Arles with the Sunflowers series.
From May 8, 1889 to May 16, 1890 during a year spent at the Saint-Paul Asylum in Saint-Rémy Vincent produced some of his most famous and impressive works.
Vincent van Gogh's palette is a subject that is both intriguing and multifaceted, varying considerably throughout his brief career.
It wasn’t a static collection of colors, but rather an experimental spectrum of pigments that evolved based on his artistic development, the materials at his disposal, the subjects he was working on, the books he was reading, his frame of mind, and the fellow artists with whom he formed a rapport.
Although Vincents works differ significantly from Drenth to Arles, his paintings are commonly associated with certain general characteristics. Key Colors and Characteristics: Vibrant and Intense: The boldness and audacity of his color choices gain him much acclaim today, although at the time many found them distasteful. He often used paints in a highly saturated manner, applying them directly and densely to the canvas. Earthy tones such as browns, ochres, and umbers feature prominently, especially in his earlier works and landscapes from Drenth and The Hague. These provided a grounding for his brighter hues as he progressed. Various shades of blue, from deep Prussian blue to lighter ultramarine, were crucial to his work. He used them in skies, clothing, and even to create dramatic contrasts.
Yellow
Van Gogh frequently employed intense yellows, such as cadmium yellow and Naples yellow, in conjunction with blues and greens to produce shimmering effects. His sunflowers are an excellent example of his effective utilization of yellow.
The most notable of the “van Gogh yellows” is likely Cadmium Yellow, a brilliant and intense pigment that was a relatively new addition to artists’ palettes during van Gogh’s time in the late 19th century. Cadmium Yellow was discovered in 1817 and became commercially available around 1840. In the 1880s, Vincent started utilizing it and was especially enamored with its superior tinting intensity and vibrancy. This pigment was highly favored by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists because of its lightfastness.
Chrome Yellow, an additional yellow pigment that van Gogh employed, has been demonstrated to be even less durable. Chrome Yellow, or lead chromate, was extensively employed during the 19th century; however, it is now recognized as susceptible to degradation. The lead chromate can react with air and light to produce lead sulfide, which is visible as black or brown. The yellow can darken as a result of this process, which is referred to as “sulfiding,” resulting in the loss of the vibrant color that is prominent in numerous of van Gogh’s original works. Well-known paintings such as “The Starry Night” and “Sunflowers” serve as illustrations of this degradation.
Studies of Henri Matisse’s painting The Joy of Life and van Gogh’s Flowers in a Blue Vase led scientists to hypothesize that Cadmium Yellow might be degrading into pale-white compounds due mainly to humidity exposure. As a result, Axel Rüger, former director of the VGM in 2019, stated that their version of the Sunflowers will never leave the museum. . Quote: “The layers of ground and paint are stable but very sensitive to vibrations and changes in humidity and temperature. . It is therefore important that the painting is moved about as little as possible and that it is displayed in a stable climate. . In order to avoid any risk whatsoever, we have decided that Sunflowers will no longer travel’.
Both Cadmium Yellow and Chrome Yellow are synthetic-based pigments. Yellow ochre is a natural earth pigment that Vincent also frequently used in his paintings.
RED
When I think of the reds that Vincent used, I immediately think of The Night Café. One of my absolute favorite paintings. The Café de la Gare, located at 30 Place Lamartine, run by Joseph-Michel Ginoux and his wife, Marie.
A popular spot for the fatigued wanderer offering an assurance of solace and comfort no matter what time of the day they rolled in. It was here that Paul Gauguin dropped in upon arriving in Arles to briefly share the Yellow House. A location of which both artists immortalized on canvas. Vincent himself stayed here for a short time, where he paid 1 franc a night.
Vincent describes his painting as:
“The room is blood-red and dull yellow, a green billiard table in the centre, 4 lemon-yellow lamps with an orange and green glow. Everywhere it’s a battle and an antithesis of the most different greens and reds; in the characters of the sleeping ruffians, small in the empty, high room, some purple and blue. The blood-red and the yellow-green of the billiard table, for example, contrast with the little bit of delicate Louis XV green of the counter, where there’s a pink bouquet.
The white clothes of the owner, watching over things from a corner in this furnace, become lemon yellow, pale luminous green”
GREEN
Another way van Gogh’s unconventional approach to color theory is on display is in his usage of green. In his experiments with complementary color theory, he frequently used green to bring out the brightness in other hues. This method is on full display in his still life compositions, which include vividly colored fruits and flowers set against a backdrop of verdant foliage. Van Gogh’s deft use of green enhances both the subject matter and the overall visual effect of his compositions.