Bedroom in Arles by Vincent Van Gogh Watch

Bedroom in Arles by Vincent Van Gogh, oil on canvas 1888, is a painting of the humble bedroom that the artist used while living in the town of Arles in the south of France. The bed, cane chairs, nightstand table, washing basin and Vincent’s own artwork decorating the walls are defined in flattened areas of luminous colour bounded by thick, colourful outlines, with areas of warm yellow to red tones subtly contrasting with cool blue greys. In this picture Van Gogh comes into his own, the thick strokes of heavily applied oil colours defining the painter’s mature, Post-Impressionist style. Vincent Van Gogh (1853 - 1890) was a Dutch painter of the Post-Impressionist movement known for bold, expressive drawing, swirling brushstrokes and bold, heightened colours. In early adulthood Van Gogh worked as an art dealer, teacher and pastor before taking up the full time study of drawing and painting in his late twenties. Influenced by Rembrandt, the 19th century Realists and Barbizon school, Van Gogh's early paintings featured studies of workers and peasants in sombre earth tones. Moving to France in 1886, Van Gogh met with the startling innovations of the Impressionist painters and began to apply their approach to colour and subject matter, which continued into the mature style for which the artist is most renowned. Van Gogh produced many hundreds of drawings and paintings including portraits, landscapes, still life and flower paintings, and numerous self-portraits that became a dominating influence on the modern art of the 20th century and made him one of the most popular artists of all time.