The EY Exhibition: Van Gogh and Britain
Tate Britain
27/3/19-11/8/19
Vincent Van Gogh left behind just one painting of a British scene, but a new exhibition shows that London was a big influence on the Dutch artist.
The EY Exhibition: Van Gogh and Britain presents the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings in the UK for nearly a decade. Some of his most famous works will be brought together from around the world – including Shoes, Starry Night on the Rhône, L’Arlésienne, and two works he made while a patient at the Saint-Paul Asylum, At Eternity’s Gate and Prisoners Exercising. They will be joined by the very rarely lent Sunflowers from London’s National Gallery.
Van Gogh lived in England as a young man for several crucial years. The exhibition at Tate Britain charts the time Van Gough spent in the city as a young man between 1873 and 1876. In London, he worked as an apprentice art dealer, read the novels of Charles Dickens and sketched the River Thames at dusk. He walked the streets alone, dreaming of the future. He fell in love with British culture, especially the novels of Charles Dickens and George Eliot. And he was inspired by the art he saw here, including paintings by Constable and Millais which are featured in the exhibition. They affected his paintings throughout his career.
The exhibition also looks at the British artists who were inspired by Van Gogh, including Francis Bacon, David Bomber, and the young Camden Town painters. It shows how his vision set British artists on the road to modern art.
Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson said Monday that Van Gogh hadn’t started painting yet but “the idea was sown then, while in London.”
His only surviving piece featuring London, 1890’s “Prisoners Exercising”, also is in the exhibit.
雖然文森特·梵高在世時只留下了一幅描繪倫敦場景的畫作（即《囚犯操練》），但英國對於這位荷蘭畫家的影響極其深遠。《EY展：梵高與英國》是梵古作品在泰特時隔70年的重現，更是近十年來英國境內所舉辦規模最大的梵古繪畫作品展覽。共計40幅梵古油畫作品和小部分其他相關英國藝術家作品參展。梵古作品收自於世界各地，其中包括《鞋子》、《星夜》、《阿萊城的基諾夫人》，和他在聖保羅精神病院療養時所創作的《永恒之門》、《囚犯操練》兩幅作品。此外，同期出展的還有倫敦國家美術館出借的《向日葵》。
梵古短暫的一生與英國頗有淵源。1873年至1876年，梵古以一名藝術經紀人學徒的身份生活在倫敦。在那段時光裏，他熱衷於閱讀英國小說家查爾斯·狄更斯的小說、在黃昏時分對著倫敦景色寫生。他獨自走過倫敦大小街頭，腦中幻想著他的未來。英國文化令他著迷，除英國文學作品外，他深受當地藝術啟發，如康斯特布林和約翰·米萊斯。他在兄弟提奧寫的信中說到：“我在這兒一切都很順利，我有一個很好的家，觀察英國、英國的生活和英國人對我來說是極大的享受。這有自然、藝術、和詩歌。如果這還不够，還有什麼能滿足我？”泰特美術館總監亞曆克斯·法奎哈森對梵古這一時期總結到：“雖然文森特·梵高當時還未開始繪畫，但藝術的思維已經顯現。”
法奎哈森指出： “梵古在英國的生活改變了他看待世界和自我的角度，激勵他成為一名藝術家。這次梵古展覽是一次激動人心的好機會，它將揭示英國文化對青年梵古的浸染，以及梵古的藝術對英國藝術家的影響。” 不僅那些影響了梵古的英國藝術家們的作品參展，受梵古所影響的英國藝術家們的作品也被囊括於此次展覽之中。梵古的藝術影響了整整一代的英國藝術家。弗蘭西斯·培根、大衛·邦博格，以及年輕的坎姆頓城的畫家們，都不同程度得到梵古的啟發。梵古和他的作品為英國藝術家們扎實地鋪墊了通向現代藝術的道路。
《EY展：梵高與英國》於2019年3月27日起對公眾開放，至8月11日結展。以前所未有的角度回顧大師重要作品，是藝術愛好者們不可錯過的重量級展覽。
