Happy Birthday Vincent Van Gogh

Rose with Sunflowers 24 x 20 http://www.mahoneyart.com

You can purchase this MM original for slightly less than a VVG original.

Vincent Willem Van Gogh was born March 30, 1853

Vincent Van Gogh could not have imagined his paintings would become so valuable. And he might have been embarassed at the mythical character his persona has become.

His tormented life, with little regard for money, has become the ideal for the supposedly true artist. By our love of drama, he stands atop the mythical pyramid of selfless artist heroes.

Many people today attempt to jump past the actual work of painting and try to establish the persona first. However, I don't think anyone would know of Vincent's sad life, if his paintings weren't what they are.

I was at the CM Russell Art Show in Great Falls MT two weeks ago. While visiting with an established western painter, the subject of art history came up in the conversation. This fellow had the opinion that Van Gogh was only famous because of his crazy life. When I asked, he admitted that he had never seen a Van Gogh painting in person. He then had to listen to my Van Gogh experience.

I was a fine art major at St. John's University in Minnesota way back in 1977. Our class took a field trip to The Minneapolis Institute of Art where I spent the entire day looking at work by virtually every great artist; Renoir, Monet, Goya, El Greco, Rembrandt, Van Dyke, Rubens, Raphael, etc., etc..

Just before we were scheduled to leave, I wandered into a small, unidentified room by accident. There were two large canvases on the wall. Even after seeing all the other great works, the hair on the back of my neck stood up, and a shiver went through me, as these two paintings moved on the wall in front of me. I doubt they travel around much anymore, but I was looking at 'Starry Night on the Rhone' and one of the 'Cypress in Fields' paintings (with the big sun in the sky.) To tell you the truth, having seen them has added difficulty to my life . The thick broken surface of those paintings was moving somehow, and they still haunt me. From that day, I have felt my job as an artist was to create paintings that were alive in some way on their own. It was evidently possible.

I am reluctantly grateful to Vincent in other ways as well. He wasn't just another painter, he was a seeker and searcher. He tried to be a pastor, but they kicked him out for being too empathetic. After being turned away from his ideal, he returned to a childhood ability to draw. He walked through places few are brave enough to go.

The artists Pissarro, Lucian, Lauzet, Bernard, Vincent's brother Theo and many friends were at his funeral. A letter Bernard wrote about his internment was very touching. He said that everyone loved Vincent. He was the kindest person they all knew. His casket was surrounded by yellow flowers; the color Vincent thought was joy in the human heart. His friend Dr. Gachet tried to say a few words when they lowered the casket, but he was crying too hard to say more than a confused farewell. According to Emile Bernard, the sun swirled hot above yellow fields and a vivid blue sky on the day they buried him. July 29 1890.

(There are theories that he may not have shot himself. He might have been protecting a young boy who shot him by accident. Also, he didn't cut off his entire ear; only the lobe.) (Ironically, the Cadmium, Barium, Cobalt, Lead, etc. in his great paintings probably poisoned his mind and killed him.)

Michelangelo's Birthday

Full Glory 30x40. See at http://www.mahoneyart.com

Is there a better analogy to the life of Michelangelo than the salmon's experience?

Destiny calls at birth, and then the difficult work must be completed.

I thought it was appropriate to re-launch my blog March 6, the day

Michaelangelo di Lodovico BuonarottiSimoni was born in the year 1475.

My paintings are so textural that they verge on sculpture,

and so I pay homage to the scultor who painted.

My own Great-grandfather was a stone carver, and I often joke that my parents could have helped my art carreer by giving me the middle name 'Angelo'. Michael Angelo Mahoney may have procured a few more lucritive commissions from influencial institutions? :)

Joking aside, I do enjoy studying the great masters these days. My own relative experience sometimes allows me to see between the lines of historical documentation about artists. So let's have a look at the great sculptor.

For the sake of my poor typing skills I will refer to Michelangelo as MA if you don't mind.

MA's father was a banker and polititian in the small towns around Florence, Italy. Because of that, he would have undoubtedly had many dealings with Cosimo de Medici, the powerful banker of the Vatican.

When MA was six years old, his mother died, and his father sent him to be cared for by the family who managed a marble quarry owned by his father. (Raised by a Stone carver...hmmm.)

His father would have seen that the Medici family placed a high value on art, for its ability to sway public opinion. So at the age of 13, MA was allowed to apprentice as an artist.

After just one year, he moved to Florence as an artist and borded with the Medici family. He grew up as a brother to Lorenzo and Giovanni de Medici, who would later become Pope Leo X, and Pope Clement VIII. (Hmmm...?)

Now let's see what was happening in the rest of the world that may have influenced him.

Columbus sailed in 1492 and reports of a previously unknown world were circulating by 1500. Martin Luther opened the floodgates of the reformation by posting his 95 Thesis on the door of the Church of All Saints, Oct. 31, 1517. (Halloween, hmmm...?) King Henry VIII and Crommwell were also stirring the social world with the new Church of England. In fact there was so much violent turmoil that the Pope was even chased out of Rome and had to reside in France for several years. (Fodder for inspiration? hmmm...)

His competitors were Leonardo, Raphael, Titian, Bellini, etc... in a time when Donatello and others had broken open many old stereotypes.

MA lived from 1475 to 1564. During his 88 years he saw almost as much cultural change as we are witnessing today. And like a salmon, he was born into his lot. He grew and thrived as a young man. Then struggled against the current and steep cascades in order to finish what was given to him. Happy Birthday Michelangelo!!

I must return to the humoruos one more time... I have wondered what my own response would have been to a great situation. Then I realized that my father was also a banker. I was 9 when they landed on the moon, and many of the great artists like Picasso were still alive when I was young. Fortunately, I'm off the hook, because I was born in Montana instead of New York City!

But alas...Should a smaller lot require less effort?