The Real Van Gogh

Airways and myself continue our cultural and artistic exploration of London.

We head across to Green Park for a visit to the Royal Academy of Art where there is currently The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and his Letters running until 18th April.

Queues look long, so we head to the free galleries on the top floor. There is a lot of contemporary crap, with a few choice pieces scattered in the mire.



Airways capturing one of the more interesting compositions

Not satiated we then queue for 40 odd minutes to get into the Van Gogh exhibition.

Adults are charged GBP12 with GBP4 reduction for those lucky enough to possess a student card. This is really a quality exhibition.The paintings include a few favourites, but many I have never seen before, in reality or in books. There are several incredible studies in ink, pen, pencil, and some with the subtlest addition of water-colour pieces that are simply outstanding for both line and perspective, even in monochrome.


Most fascinating for me however is his letters. These are predominantly written to his younger brother and patron Theo and are in both French and Flemish. Fortunately Airways is a Quebecois and translates them in full for me. Clearly obsessed in colour and his artistic techniques, the written words themselves don´t reveal any huge insights. However, they are accompanied by some tiny, but magical sketches of his major paintings with incredible minaturesque detail that is simply stunning, and, in many cases, looking better than the finished paintings themselves. Click here to check a selection of his letters out at this website.


Whilst an incredible collection of stuff has been brought in, the crowds are too much. Weekends are clearly not a sensible time to visit.


Photography is meant to be strictly prohibited in the Van Gogh exhibition.