Van Gogh vs Picasso
by holditnow
Van Gogh Almond Blossom 1890 Picasso Jacqueline with crossed hands 1954
Van Gogh and Picasso are two of the most recognizable names on the planet. Countless books and millions of words have been devoted to their lives and work. Their art changed the way people see the world around them. This fact is no small feet and these men were 2 in 107,602,707,791. There weren’t billions of people waiting in line for Picasso Masterpieces from the Musee National Picasso, Paris in Toronto or for Van Gogh: Up Close in Ottawa but at times it felt like there was. The big names bring the big crowds. For me this is a mixed blessing. I love the fact that people are going en masse to experience art and taking the time to truly look at things but it can make viewing the art troublesome. This summer has been a spoils of riches for the art going public, with two blockbuster shows just four hours away from one another. So, this past week I made my pilgrimadge to spend time with two of the icons of western art.
Picasso Nude in the Garden 1934
The first exhibit I attended was Picasso at the AGO. The show highlighted over 150 works from the Paris Museum (which is currently being renovated). This collection comes from the artist’s personal holdings. They were the one’s he kept for himself. I have been to the Picasso museum in Barcelona but never to the one in Paris. I was familiar with the majority of the works in the show through books and my old art history lectures. The collection contains many seminal works that cover all the major phases of his career. The two major impressions you are left with are: Picasso is endlessly inventive and all Picasso’s are about Picasso.
Picasso L’Atelier de la Californie (The Studio of La Californie) 1956
Even when Picasso is channeling Matisse in L’Atelier de la Californie it is still about Picasso. This would have to be one of the highlights of the show for me. Painted two years after Matisse’s death, the homage is both spot-on and sublime. Picasso leaves a patch of blank canvas in the center to mimic the loss and accentuate the process of painting.
It is the process of painting that is front and center in Van Gogh: Up Close at the National Gallery. This exhibition is comprised of 40 works that focus on Van Gogh’s relationship with nature. No major works are present but even a minor Van Gogh can hold you under its spell. For a man who only painted for 10 years of his life, completing roughly 900 paintings, he accomplished an incredible body of work. His style is unmistakable; bold colour, thick paint, post-impressionist brush strokes and a window onto the world that is both embracing and slightly leery at the same time.
Van Gogh Tree Trunks in the Grass 1890
Van Gogh invented a style, perfected it over a short period of time and then put it too rest. In his work you can see the influence of Japanese block prints along with the work of the Impressionists.Van Gogh added expressionism to the list; breathing vitality into every brushstroke. No other artist can attempt to do what he did; they will all be compared to him and eventually come up short.You can’t help but be overcome with a sense of joy with a hint of tragedy when you stand in front of a Van Gogh.
Van Gogh Dandelions 1890
So, which one is better Picasso or Van Gogh?
Two men couldn’t be further from one another personality wise. Van Gogh was socially awkward, insecure, whose idea of romance was loping off part of his ear to impress a girl and started out life wanting to be a priest. Picasso had no such aspirations. Picasso suffered for nothing. He was incredibly confident and successful. Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime where Picasso had people lined up around the block clamoring for his work. He could trade paintings for houses. Both men were consumed by art, creating it constantly and rapidly. Paintings would be completed in a day or in the case of Picasso (late in his career); he’d do a painting in the morning, have lunch and then do another one in the afternoon. Picasso outlived Van Gogh by 55 years but what Vincent accomplished in his short career is astounding. They are both giants of the art world and both worth seeing.
Of the two exhibitions: Van Gogh is the better painter but Picasso has the better paintings.
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holditnow 
Nice post, and a fascinating comparison – personalty/career-wise they really are like chalk and cheese. Have you read van Gogh’s Letters? I’m very ashamed to say I only read it quite recently, and it blew me away. Not only can he paint like an angel, he writes like one too.
And thank you so much for following my blog; I’m delighted to return the compliment.
I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t read his letters in any thorough manner. There was a wonderful documentary a few years back that is narrated in letter form. Great watch, the man is truly a marvel.
Thanks for stopping by.
Interesting post, very thought-provoking! I’m glad I found your blog (thanks for the “like” on mine!) — subscribing as we speak. Looking forward to reading more!
Art is so engaging, it is impossible not to talk about it. Thanks for the comment.
Van Gogh is the better painter but Picasso has the better paintings.- So true as each has their own energy.
I have been finding more and more quotes from these two artists that are as equally charming as the artists themselves.
I too think of these two masters together in the same sentence. Thanks for the wonderful post and view. I think I will look up van Gogh’s letters when I have a chance.
One of my favourite Van Goghisms would be: He once said; that all he would need to sustain him for a fortnight would be a crust of bread and to sit in front of Rembrandt’s The Jewish Bride. Art as nourishment. My wife and I now joke that if we really like a piece of art; it gets a crust of bread rating.
Thanks for the comment.
Nice post – I have to say that I worshipped Picasso for a good many years but when i finally got to the Pompidou in Paris I was a little underwhelmed by his works on display there. I think it depends wholly on the pieces in question – just because it’s a Picasso doesn’t make it a good Picasso. Van Gogh is so much more visually arresting but that could just be because his colours stand out so much more in a gallery – it could just be that some paintings are better viewed in busy galleries. It’s a tough debate to choose between the two – I like the African influence you get in some Picasso’s but seeing Starry Starry Night (cheesy I know) was one of the most powerful art experiences I’ve had.
Thanks for the comment.
You make a great point – paintings can look completely different in a crowded environment. The last time we were in New York we went to the MOMA on a free Friday. The gallery is free after a certain hour and is open until 9:00. We stayed right until the end when most people had left. Over the course of a few hours, Starry Night went from a crowd encircling it of up to 4 or 5 people deep to no one. Being alone with that painting is the furthest thing from cheesy (it just feels cheesy cause it is so well known). You can see that it is unfinished at the bottom with the raw canvas showing through. Van Gogh’s vision is in a league all its own. Then again, in the next room is Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon – another show stopper.
My comparison of the two artists is solely based on the two exhibitions I recently attended. If I had to take into consideration their entire bodies of work – that’s a whole other can of worms.
I thought of another factor – time. I worked in a gallery for 6 months and the paintings I loved when i first started working there (Impressionist and Glasgow Boys pieces) were gradually pushed aside by darker pieces like Chardin’s genre paintings and an incredible landscape painting by Lucas van Uden. I usually love modernist pieces and often overlook old masters paintings but standing with those paintings every day was a lesson in appreciation – the depth of colour and expression seeps into you after a while.
You really have to live with art for a while to truly appreciate it. Certain things will grab you immediately where others will slowly creep up on you. Chardin is an excellent example. What at first appears to be a simple narrative opens up into a complex observation on human nature. The key is to take the time to let the art work do its thing. Nothing makes me scratch my head more than people who go to galleries to snap pictures of famous paintings with their phones and then don’t actually look at the art when it is right in front of them. Life as slideshow.
Thanks for the comment, it’s fun talking art.
Very interesting. Thank you for liking my post — that led me to your insights! You write well, too.
I totally agree with that conclusion – if only picasso used van gogh’s paint. Cheers Sue
Great post mate. I enjoyed reading that.
That Van Gough tree trunks in the grass painting i’ve not sen before. Amazing
I’d be happy with either on my wall!
Wouldn’t that be sweet.
Thanks for the comment.
[…] by and a big shout out to the ones that stayed. Other posts you guys liked include: Secret Gem, Picasso Vs Van Gogh, Delicatessen Review and World in My Eyes: […]
Hi, thanks for the ‘like’ on my Backpacks post — and I hope you know the whole Ai Weiwei exhibitionn opens Aug 17 at the AGO. I really like this post of yours, like you I’ve been to the Picasso museum in Barcelona and was fascinated with that glimpse of one moment in his artistic life. Love that you included the Jacqueline portrait in this post: it struck me, in the exhibition, as the only one in which he protrayed one of his women with any independent strength and will (which she went on to prove).
The Jacqueline portrait was definitely a highlight for me as well. I’m really looking forward to the Ai Weiwei exhibit. I saw the backpacks on my way to the Early Renaissance show on the weekend and can hardly wait. My wife and I both thought that piece reminded us of the work of Brian Jungen. Thanks for the great comment.
Brian Jungen, yes, that’s a good comparison. I also really like the video excerpts, esp. the cat opening the door (and his politically charged comment on that fact). Have you visited the Cardiff/Miller sound installations? The stunning one for me is the 2nd floor (Henry Moore space) Thomas Tallis Motet installation.
The Janet Cardiff/Miller show was fun. I think I saw the Motet installation years ago at the Power Plant, it felt really familiar. The AGO is really knocking it out of the park lately.
[…] Picasso show at the AGO with the National Gallery’s Van Gogh exhibit. I entitled the piece Van Gogh Vs Picasso, and it was meant to compare the two shows, not the two artists. Over the past year I have noticed […]
Thanks for your appreciation on my drawing and i find your blog quite interesting!
Your drawings great. Thanks for stopping by.
Insightful comparison… I recommend going to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. Before my visit, I wondered if the Van Gogh museum would be one of those museums with minor pieces from its local artist, with the best pieces sold to museums in Paris and New York… This is not the case, the Van Gogh museum has early and less known works but its last floor is filled with masterpieces. Thanks for stopping by and liking my blog post!
The Van Gogh museum is definitely worth the trip. If I had a choice between the Picasso museum in Barcelona or Paris, I think Paris has the stronger collection.
Thanks for the kind words.
First, thank for stopping by my blog which in turn led me to yours! I hope you don’t regret it, because I am one to challenge people.
And here we go:
Do we really want to compare artists on the basis of who is better? Isn’t it more productive to compare how two artists see the world and try to draw conclusions on that basis? ‘See the world’ is a very broad notion but it can be taken from countless angles – see man’s place in nature, perceive conflict, express the human condition, relate to art – etc.
I believe you just inspired a new post on my blog – thanks!
This all started last summer when I attended two shows back to back – Van Gogh and Picasso. I decided to compare the two shows and not who exactly is the better artist. I added “vs” in the title and that seemed to hit a nerve with a bunch of people. Over the year I noticed a great many search terms that asked ‘Who’s better Van Gogh or Picasso?” that would lead them to my post. I find it funny that people would ask the all powerful OZ that is the internet to offer opinion.
This gave me the idea for: https://holditnow.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/whos-the-greatest-artist/
Now to pit some of the greatest contributors to the planet against one another like some kind of basketball tournament is pretty ridiculous and solely based upon my own opinion, but the process has been both enlightening and thought provoking. Every artist I compare, I hold in the highest esteem and hope that comes through in the writing. Along the way, I have discovered parallels between people I hadn’t considered along with reassessing my own parameters for what constitutes truly astonishing work. If I’ve gotten people to take another look at art or inspired them in any way, than I’m happy.
Thanks for the great comment.
Two mercurial painters, both fascinating, Have you read Martin Gayford’s ‘The Yellow House’ about VG’s time in Arles? SD
No unfortunately I have not. I will definitely put that on my list.
I just went to see the ‘Great Upheaval’ a survey show of modernist works from the Guggenheim collection and was most smitten with Picasso’s early work where he was channeling Toulouse Latrec. No Van Goghs but a really nice Chagall.
Thanks for the recommendation.
You’re welcome. Gayford also wrote a great book about sitting for a portrait by Lucien Freud. You can read reviews of both these books on my writing blog at http://www.sandradanby.com/
Enjoy, and Happy 2014! SD
I like your post and summation but my heart belongs to Vincent.
Vincent’s colour has a way of lighting up a room. Thanks for stopping by.
🙂
Loved this post…years ago I was at the National Gallery for a show of Van Gogh’s small paintings. I loved his work so much I wanted to get as close as possible (the name of the show you mention made me laugh)…as I crept closer and closer, I became aware of a presence behind me. I just wanted to touch the paint but a gentle hand reached out and stopped me, put itself on my arm and physically stopped me. The guard smiled and said he understood the urge, but…He was right, of course. Touching is not a good thing. We can only get kind of up close and then we’re limited to looking.
Thanks for stopping by Art and Tulips…Molly
Thanks for the great comment.
My father told me a story that when he was younger he was on a trip to Florence and he couldn’t help himself and he touched a Michelangelo. He wanted to touch what the master had touched.He said the guard nearly fainted. I’m surprised he didn’t end up in jail!
Amazing post, love it too much 🙂