The drawings of Van Gogh

The first major U.S. exhibition ever to focus on Vincent van Gogh's extraordinary drawings--comprising 113 works--will reveal the range and brilliance of the artist's draftsmanship as it evolved over the course of his decade-long career.

Generally overshadowed by the fame and familiarity of his paintings, Van Gogh's more than 1,100 drawings remain comparatively unknown although they are among his most ingenious and striking creations. Van Gogh engaged drawing and painting in a rich dialogue, which enabled him to realize the creative potential of both means of expression.

"When people think about Van Gogh, they tend to focus on his paintings and his vivid, often unconventional use of color," notes Philippe de Montebello, director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. "This exhibition--about line, above all--demonstrates that, masterfully used, black and white can be as expressive as color. The works on view will be a revelation to those who believe they understand completely Van Gogh's artistic vision."

Van Gogh produced most of his greatest drawings and watercolors during the little more than two years he spent working in Provence. Compositions created in Aries (February 1888-May 1889) form the central portion of the exhibition, bracketed by earlier and later works.

Largely self-taught, Van Gogh believed that drawing was "the root of everything." His reasons for drawing were numerous. At the outset of his career, he felt it necessary to master black and white before attempting to work in color. Thus, drawings formed an inextricable part of his development as a painter. There were periods when he wished to do nothing but draw. Sometimes, it was a question of economics: the materials he needed to create his drawings--paper and ink purchased at nearby shops and pens he himself cut with a penknife from locally grown reeds--were cheap, whereas costly paints and canvases had to be ordered and shipped from Paris. When the fierce mistral winds made it impossible for him to set up an easel, he found he could draw on sheets of paper tacked securely to board.

Van Gogh used drawing to practice interesting subjects or to capture an on-the-spot impression, to tackle a motif before venturing it on canvas, and to prepare a composition. Yet, more often than not, he reversed the process by making drawings after his paintings to give his brother and friends an idea of his latest work. Over a three-week period, between mid-July and early August in 1888, he reproduced some 30 of his paintings in pen-and-ink drawings, which he sent to two artist friends, Emile Bernard and John Russell, and to his brother, Theo. A number of these highly stylized presentation drawings are on view. The exhibition uniquely features multiple renditions of key motifs: "Boats at Sea, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer," and "Aries: View from the Wheat Fields." Each of Van Gogh's paintings of these subjects is shown with three pen-and-ink repetitions. Never before seen together, these incredible dossiers offer a fascinating glimpse of Van Gogh's successive re-interpretations-through line--of vibrant color compositions.

"Vincent van Gogh: The Drawings" is on view through Dec. 31 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. An ancillary exhibition, "In Line with Van Gogh," featuring drawing and prints by artists whose work influenced Van Gogh can be seen through Jan. 6, 2006.

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