Columbia Museum of Art is opening the doors to an in-depth look at the work of artist Vincent Van Gogh alongside art created by those who influenced him most.
"Van Gogh and His Inspirations" will be on display Oct. 4 through Jan. 12. The exhibit is an original concept that will only be presented at the Columbia Museum of Art (CMA).
The 60-piece art collection spans six of the gallery rooms, featuring 40 pieces from Van Gogh’s inspirations and 12 pieces from Van Gogh himself. "Van Gogh and His Inspirations" is heavily impacted by the New York Times bestseller "Van Gogh: The Life" written by South Carolina residents Steven Naifeh and Greg Smith. The duo spent 10 years researching Van Gogh for their book, all while growing their personal art collection from artists whom Van Gogh knew or helped him become the world-renowned artist he is today.
CMA’s chief curator Will South knows Naifeh personally, which he said played a huge role in making this exhibit possible.
“I knew about this collection that they had built, and I knew Steve, and of course I know Van Gogh,” South said. “The idea was just, well, why not use his whole collection and layer it like a cake ... [and] Van Gogh's going to be the icy frosting.”
Even with the major connection South had with Naifeh, pulling off a Van Gogh exhibit seemed nearly impossible. South came up with this “wacky idea” over four years ago, and after securing the collection from Naifeh came the long journey of trying to get loans of Van Gogh’s art from other museums.
“Nothing is harder to get than Van Gogh's. Why? Everybody wants them. Why? Because everybody loves Van Gogh. If you have a Van Gogh show, everybody is gonna go," South said.
With the financial support of the Blanchard Family, South was able to hire a full-time assistant to make a list of every Van Gogh piece featured in a public museum across the U.S. After contacting each of those museums and mostly receiving rejection, they were eventually able to secure 12 Van Gogh loans from various museums, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and the Boston Museum of Fine Art.
"Van Gogh and His Inspirations" will include some of Van Gogh’s most famous works, such as "Flower Beds in Holland" and "Self-Portrait." There will be representation of Van Gogh’s early years and the more recognizable works of his later years. There will also be an etching Van Gogh made on commission while he was still alive, South said.
Each of the Van Gogh works will be surrounded by the artists who most affected his artwork at that time. Artists such as Jean Béraud, Matthijs Maris and Jules Dupré and pieces from artistic movements in places such as Japan will all be on display to help visitors better understand Van Gogh.
Van Gogh was largely inspired by nature itself, South said, and he painted landscapes based on how he felt while he was in nature.
Van Gogh was also inspired by the hardships of life, especially those of the poor. "He had a real sympathy for suffering,” South said, which led him to paint average people doing what was necessary to survive each day.
South said what really sets Van Gogh apart from other artists can be explained in one word — passion.
“On a scale of one to 100, Van Gogh’s passion would be a 110,” South said. “He is going to squeeze every drop of passion out of everything he looks at.”
The museum hopes to gain international recognition from the exhibit, South said. Besides getting to see some of the most famous paintings in the world, CMA is offering events and activities to go along with this exhibit.
Jackie Adams, CMA's director of education and engagement, has put together multiple lecture series on Van Gogh, including Van Gogh-themed movie nights, art classes, an exclusive opening party for museum members and an Arts & Draughts night that will feature beer, live music and scavenger hunts.
More information on these events and exhibit can be found on CMA’s website.