(385) Van Gogh: A True Heart……Is Everything!
To fall in love at first sight—there is simply no way to explain it or analyze it. That first intuitive feeling, untouched by concepts and unclouded by thought, often brings us closer to our truest selves. For me, that is exactly how I feel about Van Gogh’s work. I had already fallen deeply in love with his paintings long before I met my artist boyfriend. Whenever life felt difficult, just one glance at that radiant “yellow” in his paintings would somehow awaken an indescribable warmth within me. Perhaps those who have seen Van Gogh’s sunflowers feel the same way. Like me, they may have developed an irresistible love for vivid yellow and the sun ever since. To me, the two mirror and illuminate each other, symbolizing two elements indispensable to life. What are they? Light and love!
Of course, this is merely my own personal interpretation of why I have been so captivated by Van Gogh since childhood. And now, finally, I have had the chance to visit the land of my dear Van Gogh and come face to face with his sunflowers. You can probably imagine the sheer exhilaration in my heart!
I still remember walking into the exhibition hall that day and finding it absolutely packed. From lively primary school children to silver-haired seniors, every visitor seemed spellbound, gazing at the paintings in utter fascination. Wherever a crowd had gathered, you could bet there was one of Van Gogh’s world-famous masterpieces. Everyone was eagerly taking photos and checking in with the paintings. To get up close to all my favorite works, I could probably have spent the entire day there and still considered it a day well spent. A childhood dream had finally come true, and I was simply ecstatic.
Charles, however, had a rather complicated expression on his face. He sighed, “A superstar of this magnitude sold almost none of his paintings during his lifetime. He was practically a struggling artist. He devoted his whole life to painting, yet no one seemed to care while he was alive. And look at today… More than a century later, everyone is scrambling to buy his souvenir. Even a Van Gogh sunflower T-shirt can cost dozens of euros. Isn’t the world completely upside down?”
I couldn't agree more, “Exactly! There’s a saying that has long circulated in the art world: An artist 's work sometimes has to wait until the artist has ‘departed this world’ before its value soars. Well, at least it’s something. After a lifetime of quietly devoting themselves to their craft, perhaps artists eventually manage to accumulate a little of that ‘belated glory’!” Charles continued, “In terms of painting technique, Van Gogh may have been fairly ordinary. But the truth in his painting—the sincerity in every single brushstroke—was truly unparalleled. It was precisely this truthfulness of his, free from exaggeration and affectation, that went straight to people’s hearts! That is probably why his paintings have remained timeless. And look at his subjects. He often painted ordinary, seemingly insignificant things around him, quite unlike the luxurious subjects created by artists of his time who catered to the tastes of royalty and aristocracy. No wonder his work went largely unappreciated back then! I wonder, if he could see what is happening today, would he laugh or cry?”
I chimed in, “I’ve always been fascinated by sunflowers, but what I gained today was something far deeper—an indescribable sense of being moved. Especially when I stood before The Sower. I kept looking at it again and again… simply gazing, almost stunned into a meditative stillness. Beneath the blazing golden sun, the farmer simply keeps sowing seeds of ‘Hope.’ It feels like a reflection of Van Gogh’s unwavering faith in new life. Even when life was full of hardship, the moment he stood before the canvas and painted from the flow of his heart, his life itself seemed to come alive!
On the journey home, one sentence by Van Gogh that I had seen in the exhibition kept replaying in my mind, “In art, one must give heart and soul.” Van Gogh truly was a born artist. His original heart and soul were pure and undefiled; he expressed his love so genuinely upon the canvas. His rich colors, combined with those gentle, flowing lines, radiate warmth and vitality.
Oh, deep inside, I felt as though something had been set ablaze. Happiness overflowed. Almost unconsciously, I closed my eyes, smiled from the heart, and brought my palms together: A heartfelt salute to Van Gogh—this sincere, soulful, simple man.
And suddenly, I understood, “That once-overlooked artist eventually touched the hearts of people all over the world. All because he was true. A True Heart…… Is Everything!”
Happy sharing Short video…
https://youtu.be/lCbYkQm63Sk?si=stI7wlqGsPiqLugG