Art x Fashion Edit #30
As the tickets for the Van Gogh at Auvers-sur-Oise exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay appear to be the most prized and hardest to get possession in Paris this winter, I am reminiscing about being actually able to see some of Van Gogh’s masterpieces.
One of my all time favorites is “Terrasse du café le soir, place du forum, à Arles” (1888). Almost 150 years later, it feels like nothing has changed. The power of Van Gogh’s work lies in its ability to present at the same time a very personal interpretation of a specific scene and an impressively universal depiction of human experience.
The fact that the architectural profile and coffee tables of French villages and small towns has remained consistent through history – especially for a city as historically rich a as Arles – is one explanation as to why this painting feels so out of time.
But a more powerful explanation lies in the way the composition conveys a feeling of melancholia. The depth of the second plan, the angle, the central focal point and the overall emptiness of the painting participate in creating a tension between a lasting eerie atmosphere and a scene that seems so fleeting.
This feeling is heightened by the contrast between the dark blue of the sky and the sunny light of the yellow infusing the painting with a sense of comforting hope that tomorrow will be a better day. Or at least a new one.
Bring that mood with you and wear it.
The Splurge
P.A.R.O.S.H. Top ($411)
Marni Pants ($630)
Manolo Blahnik Heels ($1,161)
Gucci Jackie Bag ($2,950)
Moncler Jacket ($2,220)
Tiffany & Co Watch ($2,700)
(More) Affordable Options
P.A.R.O.S.H. Top ($271)
Société Anonyme Pants ($81)
Stuart Weitzman Heels ($333)
See by Chloé Bag ($300)
There Was One Jacket ($163)
Vivienne Westwood Watch ($201)
mabou 