Post #4228258

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), The Prison Courtyard (after Gustave Doré), 1890, oil on canvas, 31.4x25.1 inches (80x64 cm), Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. #arthistory #painting #oilpainting #vangogh #prison From HSE University, Moscow: “Vincent van Gogh painted The Prison Courtyard in 1890, inspired by an engraving by French illustrator Gustave Doré. In February 1890, Van Gogh was staying at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum, where he had no opportunity to paint from life… When examining Van Gogh's painting, one can notice a pair of butterflies fluttering against the prison wall. For the artist, they may have symbolized hope for liberation… When painting this work, Van Gogh primarily used blue paint. The artist was known for his fondness for cool blue, which he combined with warm yellow to convey his inner state. The clash of these two colors also symbolizes the inner conflict that marked Van Gogh’s life—between hope and despair, joy and sorrow. The artist often used blue for his self-portraits. Through blue and its many shades, he sought to understand himself as a person and as an individual.”