Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter popularly known today for his works of art like The Starry Night and Sunflowers, made with the use of special and unique bold brushstrokes that continue to inspire art even today.He took up art seriously in his late twenties and made about 2,000 artworks in roughly ten years, died an early death at the age of 37, and found little recognition while alive.But beyond his work of art, what we know about him and his thought process comes from his letters to his brother Theo.In one of those letters, he talked about how we stand at crossroads in our lives and how we feel hesitant to show our plain, real, unfinished, honest version over the polished versions for the fear of being judged or rejected.Let’s dig in to find out what he means.
Quote of the day
Occasionally, in times of worry, I’ve longed to be stylish, but on second thought I say no-just let me be myself-and express rough, yet true things with rough workmanship
Vincent Van Gogh
What does the quote mean?
Gogh’s lines come from letter 210, written by him to his brother Theo and appears in the Van Gogh Museum’s online edition of his letters.In 1882, Van Gogh was twenty-eight and still learning to draw, as he had turned to art only a couple of years earlier, and lived in The Hague on money sent by Theo.Just before this line, he tells Theo that honesty is the best policy in art, and that serious study is better than being stylish to win over the public.It is then he confesses that in anxious moments he wished he could be polished and popular. But on second thought, he chose to stay himself.“Stylish” here means smooth, fashionable, and made to please. “Rough workmanship” means work that shows the hand, the effort, and the flaws. Van Gogh means to say that he would rather be real and a little clumsy than slick and empty. He also doesn’t pretend to be above the temptation; instead, he admits that it shows up when he is worried.
How are his words relevant today?
Drenched in the digital age and the rush of social media, we live around photo filters, perfect profiles, and personal branding. Many of us edit our photos, think twice before formulating words, and even our opinions so they will be liked.In such a world, choosing the plain, true version of yourself takes some courage, so let your effort show, and be patient.
