The Transylvanian Museum of Ethnography, public cultural institution that works under the authority of the Cluj County Council, invites you to the opening of the exhibition VAN GOGH IN WHITE AND BLACK. 100 HELIOGRAVURES AFTER THE DRAWINGS OF HYDDE NIELAND’S COLLECTION, on Friday, 17th of February 2017, at 5 p.m. at the main building of the institution, on Memorandum Street no. 21.
The exhibition, organised by the Dutch Cultural and Academic Centre Cluj-Napoca and Merkur Plus, contains 100 heliogravures made after Vincent van Gogh’s drawings, printed by the Dutch printing and publishing house Versluys en Scherjon in Utrecht, in 1905. The art works exhibited represent 10 x 10 pictures that had been compiled out of the collection of the Dutch Industrialist Hydde Nieland, Dordrecht, who bought them at the van Gogh’s exhibition in Hague, 1892. Because of their quality and clearness, this prints are showing the character of his drawings like no others do.
The van Gogh’s drawings are recognized mainly because of their compositions that show a certain archetypical tension. Although he draws with pencil, reed pen, charcoal or black or blue chalk (sometimes he mixed the technics), the landscapes and the figures are represented in his style in the unique van Gogh’s light. While his oil paints are known for his vibrant use of colours, showing us the beauty of the life, in his drawings no colour is distracting the eyes. And we can see how he really has seen the world. „Sensitivity and intelligence are a dangerous combination because people with both are sure that life can be different” (Romano Guardini). This sentence of the Swiss/German theology and philosopher is describing the differences and context of van Gogh’s drawings and oil paints. For drawing, he used any paper available. “Peasant woman, half-figure” was drawn on an envelope. Van Gogh drew many sketches of his visions before he started to paint. In drawing he could catch more easily the light and the image. As well he drew sketches of his oil paints after he finished them, mainly in order to be able to mail them to his brother Theo.
The exhibition will be opened between 17th of February and 9th of April 2017, at the Transylvanian Museum of Ethnography, Memorandum Street no. 21.
Ticket price:
Adult 12 lei
Students, Retired persons, groups of more than 10 persons 6 lei
“Scoala Altfel” 3 lei
Photo Fee 5 lei
Vincent van Gogh was born on 30th of March 1853 in Zundert, Netherlands. He started the art trade in 1869 working at Goupil & Cie in Den Haag. Later, he tried many jobs (twice to become a Reformed priest, then a preacher in Borinage). He started to work in 1880.
In a short period of almost 10 years, Vincent van Gogh created more than 2500 artworks, amongst them are aside his famous oil paints.
In February 1888, he moved to Arles, in the south of France. He wanted to establish an “atelier du sud” where artists can live and work together. Only his friend Paul Gaugin accepted after some hesitations and after van Gogh promised him to pay the trip and his stay there. Because their difficult personalities, they argued and Gaugin left after only two months. It was the moment when van Gogh cut a small piece of his left ear lap.
Being depressed and having epilepsy episodes, he stayed till April 1889 in a hospital in Arles, because of a petition of the citizens who had been afraid of his strange behaviour. Being determined not to live alone, he moved to the psychiatric clinic in St. Remy. There he painted, but he felt unpleasant like in prison.
In 1890, van Gogh went back to the North and began to be treated by the collector and psychiatrist dr. Paul Gachet in Auvers-sur-Oise.
He died in 1890 at 29th of July 1890, shooting himself into the chest in Auvers-sur-Oise, France.