Vincent Willem Van Gogh was born #OTD (Zundert, Netherlands 30 March 1853 – Auvers-sur-Oise, France 29 July 1890). And since today is also #Caturday, here is a closer look at the cats found in his art — including one that got painted out of a second version!
Nuenen, March-April 1885
Drawing, chalk on paper, 21.2 x 34.4 cm
F 1229r / JH 440
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/collection/d0393V1962r
Arles, August 1888
Drawing, pencil, reed pen and brush and ink, on paper, 60.7 x 49.2 cm
F 1457 / JH 1539
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/collection/d0175V1962
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, October-November 1889
Painting, oil on canvas, 74.2 x 93.0 cm
F 647 / JH 1834
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/collection/s0174V1962
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, March-May 1890
Drawing, chalk on paper, 23.8 x 31.6 cm
F 1608r / JH 1962
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/collection/d0189V1962r
Van Gogh’s Lost Cat
Below are two versions of Daubigny’s Garden, both from Auvers-sur-Oise, July 1890…but the black cat has been painted out of the second one! The cat was still included in the original sketch of the second composition in his letter to Theo on 23 July 1890…I wonder why he changed his mind about it?
Auvers-sur-Oise, July 1890
Painting, oil on canvas, 22.0 x 39.7 cm
F 777 / JH 2105
Kunstmuseum Basel (Switzerland)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VanGogh_Daubigny.jpg
Auvers-sur-Oise, July 1890
Painting, oil on canvas, 20.8 x 40.5 cm
F 776 / JH 1204
Hiroshima Museum of Art (Japan)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vincent_Willem_van_Gogh_021.jpg
Van Gogh painted two large canvases of Daubigny’s garden: Daubigny’s garden [#1] and Daubigny’s garden [#2]. In letter 898 he mentioned the first version of the painting. The letter sketch in the present letter was made after Daubigny’s garden [#2], as is clear from the dots used to indicate the path in the lower left corner and the diagonal lines on the roof of the church at top right. The sketch is more elongated than the painting, which accounts for some differences in the composition. The black cat was painted out later.
notes from Letter #902: To Theo van Gogh. Auvers-sur-Oise, Wednesday, 23 July 1890.
Bonus book recommendations:
