Town View of the Hague with the Nieuwe Kerk by Vincent van Gogh
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A hunched figure traverses the landscape in this stunning work by Vincent van Gogh
Key Features
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- This evocative view of the Hague was captured by the deft hand of Vincent van Gogh
- This watercolor was commissioned by van Gogh's uncle, art dealer Cornelius Marinus van Gogh
- Entitled Town View of the Hague with the Nieuwe Kerk, this work emanates deep emotion
- Signed "Vincent" (lower left)
- Circa 1882
- 9 7/8" high x 14 1/8" wide; Frame: 20 1/4" high x 24 3/8" wide
Item Details
- Width:
C:14 1/8" F:24 3/8" Inches - Height:
C:9 7/8" F:20 1/4" Inches - Period:
Post Impressionism - Origin:
Other Europe - Subject:
Cityscapes - Artist:
Van Gogh, Vincent
Vincent van Gogh
1853-1890 · Dutch
Town View of the Hague with the Nieuwe Kerk
Watercolor, gouache, pen and ink on paper
Signed "Vincent" (lower left)
Vincent van Gogh is one of the world's most iconic artists, and his commanding works speak of a troubled, yet immense genius. At the time he completed this striking landscape, entitled Town View of the Hague with the Nieuwe Kerk, van Gogh had just experienced his first taste of commercial success, thanks in part to his uncle, art dealer Cornelius Marinus van Gogh. Between March and April of 1882, van Gogh had been commissioned by his uncle to draw a 12-part series of compositions with city views of the Hague as the focus.
Around the same period, van Gogh began to learn the art of watercolor from his cousin, Anton Mauve, a highly accomplished watercolorist. His new-found interest in the medium is seen in this particular landscape of the Hague. The overcast sky and ominous rooftops, with chimneys bellowing black smoke in the distance, seem to mirror the state of the downtrodden man in the center of the composition, a common figure present in many of van Gogh's works during this time. Through his use of arrangement, color and perspective, this landscape emanates deep emotion, reflecting the genius that is van Gogh.
Born the son of a pastor in Groot-Zundert, Holland, van Gogh was unsuccessful in several ventures in his early life. Besides clerking in a bookstore and working as a pastor, van Gogh also obtained a position as an art salesman in 1869 with Goupil & Cie, an art gallery co-founded by an uncle. He was transferred to the London branch of the gallery and was happy for a time,but a failed romance soured his experience and, in 1876, he was terminated from the position. Around 1880, van Gogh decided to study art. In 1886, he traveled to Paris to join his brother Théo, who was managing Goupil's gallery. There, van Gogh studied with Fernand Cormon, and met such Impressionists as Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, and Paul Gauguin, who would become a close friend. Under their influence, he began to brighten his very dark palette and to paint using heavy brushstrokes.
Van Gogh's nervous temperament made him a difficult companion, and night-long discussions, combined with painting all day, undermined his health. In 1888 he moved to Arles where the Provençal landscape provided his best-known subject matter. Here, he hoped his friends would join him and help found a school of art. Gauguin did visit him, but with disastrous results. Some scholars have posited that it was a disagreement with Gauguin that pushed van Gogh to slice off a portion of his ear lobe. From that point, Van Gogh then began to alternate between fits of madness and lucidity and was sent to the asylum in Saint-Remy for treatment in 1889. He continued to paint, but the following year he committed suicide.Though his death ended a brief career devoid of artistic acclaim, Van Gogh has since been exalted as one of the premier painters of his generation.
Circa 1882
Canvas: 9 7/8" high x 14 1/8" wide
Frame: 20 1/4" high x 24 3/8" wide
Provenance:
Private Collection, the Netherlands
Private Collection, United States
Exhibited:
Otterlo, Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller, Drawings. Vincent Van Gogh, March 30-July 29, 1990, exhibit catalog by J. van der Wolk, R. Pickvance and E.B.F. Pey, no. 63 (full page color illustration, page 114, dated 1882-1883);
Treviso, Casa dei Carraresi, L'impressionismo e l'età di Van Gogh, November 9, 2002-March 30, 2003;
Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales, December 2004-July 2005 (on loan)
Literature:
Ch. Wentinck, Elseviers Weekblad, 9 July 1960 (as "a view in The Hague, with the New Church left and the Enthoven Factory right");
J.-B. de la Faille, The Works of Vincent Van Gogh. His Paintings and Drawings, Amsterdam, 1970, p. 575, no. SD 1680, as "View in the Hague," and dated March 1882 (illustrated);
J. Hulsker, The Complete Van Gogh. Paintings, Drawings, Sketches, New York, 1984, p. 32, no. 97, dated January 1882 (illustrated);
J. Hulsker, The New Complete Van Gogh. Paintings, Drawings, Sketches, Amsterdam/Philadelphia, 1996, p. 32, no. 97, dated January 1882 (illustrated)
1853-1890 · Dutch
Town View of the Hague with the Nieuwe Kerk
Watercolor, gouache, pen and ink on paper
Signed "Vincent" (lower left)
Vincent van Gogh is one of the world's most iconic artists, and his commanding works speak of a troubled, yet immense genius. At the time he completed this striking landscape, entitled Town View of the Hague with the Nieuwe Kerk, van Gogh had just experienced his first taste of commercial success, thanks in part to his uncle, art dealer Cornelius Marinus van Gogh. Between March and April of 1882, van Gogh had been commissioned by his uncle to draw a 12-part series of compositions with city views of the Hague as the focus.
Around the same period, van Gogh began to learn the art of watercolor from his cousin, Anton Mauve, a highly accomplished watercolorist. His new-found interest in the medium is seen in this particular landscape of the Hague. The overcast sky and ominous rooftops, with chimneys bellowing black smoke in the distance, seem to mirror the state of the downtrodden man in the center of the composition, a common figure present in many of van Gogh's works during this time. Through his use of arrangement, color and perspective, this landscape emanates deep emotion, reflecting the genius that is van Gogh.
Born the son of a pastor in Groot-Zundert, Holland, van Gogh was unsuccessful in several ventures in his early life. Besides clerking in a bookstore and working as a pastor, van Gogh also obtained a position as an art salesman in 1869 with Goupil & Cie, an art gallery co-founded by an uncle. He was transferred to the London branch of the gallery and was happy for a time,but a failed romance soured his experience and, in 1876, he was terminated from the position. Around 1880, van Gogh decided to study art. In 1886, he traveled to Paris to join his brother Théo, who was managing Goupil's gallery. There, van Gogh studied with Fernand Cormon, and met such Impressionists as Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, and Paul Gauguin, who would become a close friend. Under their influence, he began to brighten his very dark palette and to paint using heavy brushstrokes.
Van Gogh's nervous temperament made him a difficult companion, and night-long discussions, combined with painting all day, undermined his health. In 1888 he moved to Arles where the Provençal landscape provided his best-known subject matter. Here, he hoped his friends would join him and help found a school of art. Gauguin did visit him, but with disastrous results. Some scholars have posited that it was a disagreement with Gauguin that pushed van Gogh to slice off a portion of his ear lobe. From that point, Van Gogh then began to alternate between fits of madness and lucidity and was sent to the asylum in Saint-Remy for treatment in 1889. He continued to paint, but the following year he committed suicide.Though his death ended a brief career devoid of artistic acclaim, Van Gogh has since been exalted as one of the premier painters of his generation.
Circa 1882
Canvas: 9 7/8" high x 14 1/8" wide
Frame: 20 1/4" high x 24 3/8" wide
Provenance:
Private Collection, the Netherlands
Private Collection, United States
Exhibited:
Otterlo, Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller, Drawings. Vincent Van Gogh, March 30-July 29, 1990, exhibit catalog by J. van der Wolk, R. Pickvance and E.B.F. Pey, no. 63 (full page color illustration, page 114, dated 1882-1883);
Treviso, Casa dei Carraresi, L'impressionismo e l'età di Van Gogh, November 9, 2002-March 30, 2003;
Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales, December 2004-July 2005 (on loan)
Literature:
Ch. Wentinck, Elseviers Weekblad, 9 July 1960 (as "a view in The Hague, with the New Church left and the Enthoven Factory right");
J.-B. de la Faille, The Works of Vincent Van Gogh. His Paintings and Drawings, Amsterdam, 1970, p. 575, no. SD 1680, as "View in the Hague," and dated March 1882 (illustrated);
J. Hulsker, The Complete Van Gogh. Paintings, Drawings, Sketches, New York, 1984, p. 32, no. 97, dated January 1882 (illustrated);
J. Hulsker, The New Complete Van Gogh. Paintings, Drawings, Sketches, Amsterdam/Philadelphia, 1996, p. 32, no. 97, dated January 1882 (illustrated)
