Cultural depictions of Vincent van Gogh

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This is a list that shows references made in culture to Van Gogh's life and work.

Literature

• The artist's life forms the basis for Irving Stone's biographical novel Lust for Life.
• Letters to Theo, a selection of Vincent's letters to his brother Theo in various sized volumes, became available in several languages during the 1950s, and became popular reading.
• "Starry Night," a poem written by Tupac Shakur, is a dedication to van Gogh and his work.
• Antonin Artaud wrote a study Van Gogh le suicidé de la société (Van Gogh, The Man Suicided by Society) in 1947, after visiting an exhibition of the painter's works. [1]
• Paul Celan mentions van Gogh's ear in his poem Powers, Dominions. [2]
• Woody Allen wrote a parody of Vincent's letters to his brother Theo. The short story If the Impressionists Had Been Dentists is included in Allen's book Without Feathers.
• Paul Gauguin writes about van Gogh in his book Avant et après (Before and After) (1903). [3]

Music

Classical

• Grigori Frid: Letters of van Gogh, mono-opera in two parts for baritone - clarinet, percussion, piano, strings op. 69 (1975) – small Version for baritone - clarinet, piano and violoncello
• Bertold Hummel: Eight fragments from letters of Vincent van Gogh for baritone and string quartet op. 84 (1985) [4]
• Einojuhani Rautavaara: Vincent, opera in three acts (1986-1987). This was based on several events in Van Gogh's life; he later used some of the same themes in his 6th symphony, Vincentiana.
• Einojuhani Rautavaara: Vincentiana, symphony N° 6 (1992) - movements: I Tähtiyö (Starry night) II Varikset (The crows) III Saint-Rémy IV Apotheosis
• Henri Dutilleux: Correspondances for soprano and orchestra (2002-2004) - movements: I. Danse cosmique (P. Mukherjee) II. A Slava et Galina... (A. Solschenizyn) III. Gong (R. M. Rilke) IV. Gong II (R. M. Rilke) V. De Vincent à Théo... (V. van Gogh)

Popular

• In 1971, singer Don McLean wrote the ballad Vincent in honor of Van Gogh; also known by its opening words, "Starry Starry Night," the song refers to the painting The Starry Night.
• McLean's song was also sung by Josh Groban in 2002, and the punk band NOFX did a version which can be found on a rarities and b-sides double album.
• In 2007, Folk rock songwriter Freddy Blohm had a different take on Van Gogh in the song "Cheerful."
• Bob Dylan wrote an unreleased, but widely bootlegged, song called "Vincent Van Gogh."
• Bob Neuwirth, a folksinger friend of Bob Dylan's, wrote a song in the 1960s called "Where did Vincent van Gogh?"
• Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution (and later frontman Tomas Kalnoky's other band Streetlight Manifesto) mention van Gogh in their song Heres to Life: "Vincent Van Gogh why do you weep?/ You were on your way to heaven but the road was steep./ Who was there to break your fall,/ we're guilty one and all."
• The title track for Joni Mitchell's album Turbulent Indigo references Van Gogh's madness. The album cover is a take on Van Gogh's "Self-Portrait with bandaged ear".
• A Spanish Group is named La Oreja de Van Gogh ("Van Gogh's Ear").
• There was a parody of Van Gogh and his ear in the Family Guy Episode "Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr High"
• The Vigilantes of Love released a song titled "Skin" which is about Van Gogh.

Film

• Lust for Life, the 1934 novel by Irving Stone was adapted into a film of the same name. It was directed by Vincente Minnelli and George Cukor and produced by John Houseman. The 1956 film starred Kirk Douglas as Vincent van Gogh and Anthony Quinn as Paul Gauguin. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including best actor and best supporting actor, for which Anthony Quinn won.
• Mai Zetterling and David Hughes made the 1972 drama-documentary Vincent the Dutchman, with Michael Gough in the title role, following in van Gogh's footsteps and re-visiting the actual locations where live and died.
• Australian director Paul Cox made a film called Vincent (also known as Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh) in 1987 , consisting entirely of readings of passages from Vincent's letters (read by John Hurt), and accompanied by scenes of the actual locations where he painted. The entire film is claimed to be seen through van Gogh's own eyes, including his final suicide.
• Director Alexander Barnett The Eyes of Van Gogh, a film about the 12 months van Gogh spent in an asylum at St. Remy. web site blog
• Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa paid homage to van Gogh in the 1990 film "Yume" (Dreams). The film was based upon Kurosawa's own dreams and included a vignette entitled "Crows" based on the painting Wheat Field with Crows, which starred Martin Scorsese as Van Gogh.
• Michael Rubbo directed the 1990 family film Vincent and Me.
• Director Robert Altman portrayed the life story of Vincent van Gogh (Tim Roth) and of his brother Theo van Gogh (Paul Rhys) in the film Vincent & Theo (1990).
• Maurice Pialat's Van Gogh (1991) starred Jacques Dutronc in the title role. The film earned a record twelve César nominations and Dutronc won the award for best actor.
• Director Benjamin Lamb portrayed the last three years of van Gogh's life in The Death of Color (2007).

Theatre

• In the mid 1970s Leonard Nimoy wrote and starred in a one man play called Vincent based on the play Van Gogh by Phillip Stephens.

Art

• In 1999 the Stuckists art movement named Van Gogh an honorary member, and in 2004 their co-founder Billy Childish staged a homage show of interpretations.

Popular recognition

• In 2004 he was nominated for the title De Grootste Nederlander (The Greatest Dutchman) and came in 10th place.

External links

• Excerpt from Artaud about van Gogh
• El cine pinta a Van Gogh. Van Gogh in the movies.