You might have heard of Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent Willem van Gogh, especially if you live in Sydney and have a social media account. The 19th century artist is experiencing a surge in popularity locally thanks to a new immersive exhibit in the Royal Hall of Industries, and were he alive today, he’d have certainly earned his coveted blue tick.
In just over a decade, van Gogh created about 2100 artworks, most of which date from the last two years of his life. The man was an artistic powerhouse in his day, despite only selling one of his pieces during his lifetime. However there’s more to Vinnie than his extremely Instagramable artworks.
Van Gogh was a tortured artist with an often tragic story. His unique perspective on life and the world he inhabited resulted in some of history’s most iconic paintings, whilst also manifesting in some equally beautiful words. Surprisingly optimistic, unsurprisingly poetic, and thoroughly applicable in today’s world, here are 10 of Vinnie G’s best quotes to live by.
I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.
As we advance in life it becomes more and more difficult, but in fighting the difficulties the inmost strength of the heart is developed.
I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.
But for ones health as you say, it is very necessary to work in the garden and see the flowers growing.
In the end we shall have had enough of cynicism, scepticism and humbug, and we shall want to live more musically.
Close friends are truly life’s treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears. Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone.
We spend our whole lives in unconscious exercise of the art of expressing our thoughts with the help of words.
The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.
In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing.
