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| (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
"'Starry Night?'"
"Yes." He said.
"Yes, " another girl Rachel Liu immediately responded, "I love that picture!"
"Are you guys talking about Van Gogh's painting?"
"YES!" 3 of them "yelled" at me at the same time. Then they told me they had school projects that were based on this painting and they all enjoyed them very much.
I was "amused" by how they liked such a "profound" masterpiece, considering how many adults don't even "understand" it. So I asked Rachel: "Do you really like that picture?"
"Yes, I like it!" She answered without hesitation.
"Why?"
"???... eh..." She thought a little moment, "I don't know." She said with a little shyness.
"But you do like it. I mean, you LOVE it, right?"
"Yes." She looked at me, nodded her little head determinedly.
The boy was anxiously waiting for the conversation to end. He asked me: "I want to drawing 'Starry Night', do you have it?"
I immediately checked my Van Gogh books but found it was not there. So I rushed to my computer and printed it from online. When I brought the picture to classroom, they all cheered up loudly: "That's the one!"
The boy's recreating "Starry Night" did not succeed, because there was not enough time. Before he left class, I asked him if he wanted the print of "Starry Night", he looked at me surprisingly: "really? I can have it?"
"Yes, of course!"
He grabbed the print with great joy and thanked me.
That night, the night before thanksgiving, I found myself keeping thinking of Van Gogh. I realized, despite the fact that Van Gogh was not accepted at his time, and he was still not "understood" by millions adults now and then, he nonetheless touched these children's hearts. And from these children's eyes, I know it was joy they received from his painting.
Thanks Vincent! How I wish there's a way to let you know about this.
I think the reason van Gogh wasn't accepted at the time had more to do with his anti-social, borderline psychotic behaviour than it did about his paintings. Eg he saw a pretty girl on a tram one day, and followed this stranger home. He bashed on her front door to demand her father's permission to marry, until the father called the police.
ReplyDeleteThat said, children often detect honesty and emotion in paintings more readily than adults since they have no life experience to filter out the "unacceptable". From what you say, van Gogh was certainly reaching your pupils' hearts.
Hels, indeed, Van Gogh suffered mental condition and he had not been accepted as we are social animals. It's sad. But I refer more his works than his behavior. His works seems way ahead of his time.
Delete“Starry Night” is such a spectacular painting, full of whimsy, color and texture, no wonder the children were drawn to it. I love that Van Gogh’s painting touched the hearts and imagination of the children in your class (and he’s my favorite artist). Van Gogh was an artistic genius often beset by madness, and you’re right, his work (which I believe was ahead of its time) was not accepted or understood in his time, and even though popular now, it’s still sometimes not understood. It’s really something special that his painting brought such joy to the children! I think Vincent would have liked that. Great post, Yun Yi!
ReplyDeleteThanks Madilyn! For what I know, Van Gogh's works are more much appreciated in Western societies than in China, though many Asian artists also love him dearly.
DeleteI love the fact that these children are being exposed to such great artwork at their ages. It's good that they already know what they like and are not being forced to accept it. That's what I like about children, they just say it as it is. It's just a shame that Van Gogh was not around to see how he's paintings have become so acceptable.
ReplyDeleteYes, too bad that he was mentally so lonely during almost his entirely life time. Thanks RPD!
DeleteVincent's use of bright primary colors and crude brushstrokes are reminiscent of the painting style of young children; there's an innocence and rawness to his work that appeals to the child within. In this painting, he captures wonder on canvas. I think that's why children love "Starry Night"...they are all about wonder and amazement. Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists, too. When I was in high school, there was a popular song by Don McLean called "Vincent." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wrNFDxCRzU). One starry night, after two good friends of mine and I had spent the entire afternoon listening to that song and talking about "Starry Night," we went down to my parents' boat dock to look at the stars. We laid down with our heads together, staring up at the sky, and what do you know? We saw two shooting stars with bright yellow tails, racing across the black sapphire sky. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteKris, as I said in BC, I love that song too! I heard it when I was in college. Glad you had such good time with your family and it became such a nice memory of yours.
DeleteGreat story, yunyi. Imagine how happy Van Gogh would be to know his painting touched the hearts of those children. More, I think, than any critical or academic praise
ReplyDeleteI agree Marty. Personally, I never care those critical or academic praise, or criticism.
DeleteHi Yun Yi,
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to stop meeting to discuss Vincent......ha, ha. Yes, children can't disguise their joy or like something simply because they're told to. Wonderful to see you are shaping young minds with this. As you know Vincent was in the asylum .when he did this and somehow all his personal agony went into the creation of this masterpiece. I confess, I don't know too much about art, but I instinctively love this.
Neil, if you "instinctively" love this painting, you do "know" art! Thanks for stopping by.
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