Left: The Dance Hall in Arles, 1888, Van Gogh
Right: The Arlesiénnes, 1888, Paul Gauguin
These are the paintings that Gauguin and Van Gogh did together during Gauguin visit at Arles.
It is amazing how Van Gogh did this work in a very different style as if it was a stained glass:
"This painting seems to show an evening at the Folies-Arlésiennes, a dance hall on Boulevard des Lices. Gauguin's influence is clear as Van Gogh scrupulously applies the principles of synthesism and cloisonnism developed by his friend at Pont-Aven. The reference to Japanese art is also evident, with the unusual elevation of the horizon, and in the strange, decorative foreground where the curves and counter curves of the hair are dominant.
The multitude of characters, the variety of their style of clothes and the way they overlap, skilfully portray a feeling of crowdedness and saturation. The portrait of Madame Roulin on the right, who alone turns to look at the spectator, seems to express a claustrophobic terror. In Gauguin's Arlésiennes, two female characters also express anxiety and anguish.To escape this latent anxiety, the two men went to Montpellier on 16th or 17th December to visit the Musée Fabre. The arguments that followed highlighted their aesthetic disagreements more than ever. As a result of this day out, their separation became inevitable, and Gauguin prepared to leave."
No matter what is said when I look at Van Gogh painting I like it and can even find some peace. I would love to see the original.
Test from the Musée D'Orsay site.
