Colour Theory in the Works of Vincent van Gogh: A Journey Through Palette and Emotion

Colour theory studies how colours interact and how they influence our emotions and perceptions. It also entails blending hues according to the colour wheel and knowing how colours connect.

Understanding colour theory goes well beyond merely knowing how to blend colours. This set of rules governs the interaction between colours and the physiological effects of certain hue combinations.

Vincent van Gogh recognized the power of colour and used it to create masterpieces. Van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter known for his expressive and passionate use of vibrant colour and his intense application of impasto paint.

He enjoyed painting with colours such as yellow ocher, chrome yellow, Prussian blue, ultramarine, red ocher, and raw sienna to create vibrant bursts of colour on canvas.

In this article, we will look at colour theory in the works of Van Gogh’s paintings, analyzing his journey to deriving a unique colour palette and how he managed to communicate emotions through his paintings.  

Understanding Colour Theory

Colour theory continues to be essential in modern-day art. To convey feelings or influence the viewer’s perspective, artists frequently employ colour relationships, contrast, and harmonics.

This influences artists’ judgments about creating mood, impact, and communicating meaning. But why is this the case? How do artists create these winning combinations?

It all starts with understanding the colour wheel. The colour wheel is classified into three sections: primary, secondary, and tertiary colours. Primary colours, such as red, yellow, and blue, cannot be combined because of their inherent pigments.

Secondary hues, such as orange, green, and purple, are made by mixing equal portions of any two basic colours.

Tertiary colours, which are made up of six colours, are generated by combining equal portions of a secondary and a primary colour.

The relationship between colours when viewed collectively may be explained by the 12-section colour wheel. Artist Marc Chagall said, “All colours are the friends of their neighbours and the lovers of their opposites.”

Based on this principle, artists create a variety of effects, such as striking contrast or aesthetically pleasing hues when blended. There are several other elements involved in understanding colour theory, such as colour temperature (warm versus cold), tints and shades, hues, etc.

Van Gogh’s Early Use of Colour

Vincent van Gogh’s early paintings used dark, earthy colours such as olives, umbers, and ochres. These hues underlined his rough, authentic approach to depicting peasant life.

His early palette was inspired by training with Anton Mauve, a prominent artist at The Hague School. Mauve’s palette was largely greys and blues, which suited Dutch landscapes. 

Van Gogh’s paintings like “The Potato Eaters” used subdued browns and deep greens to capture the themes’ sombre tone. The painting’s composition is symmetrical, with a balanced arrangement of figures, a feminine figure, and a table, which creates a sense of seclusion and balance.

The composition is entirely monochromatic. Van Gogh uses different shades and hues of the same colour, mostly gloomy browns and blacks, giving the artwork a dismal and melancholy atmosphere.

Vincent van Gogh was not satisfied with this modest hue palette. He studied colour theory and experimented with complementary colours. When the artist stayed in Nuenen (1883-1885), his paintings began to show promise of brighter hues, including principles of colour theory while remaining true to deep browns and greens. As time went on, his adventures with colour became more evident in his works.

Van Gogh’s colour palette was then influenced by the Pointillists, particularly Georges Seurat, who used small dots of pure colour that blended in the viewer’s sight to get the desired colour impression, which began to impact the artist’s perception and manipulation of colour.

Evolution of Colour Choices

By the late 1880s, numerous painters found Impressionism’s constraints suffocating. They desired a more in-depth investigation of form and composition than Impressionism’s transient visual impressions could provide.

This gave rise to Post-Impressionism, which was termed by British art critic Roger Fry in 1906. Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and Paul Cézanne were among the post-impressionists who sought a more individualized and sentimental approach to painting.

After being exposed to Impressionist painting in Paris, Van Gogh’s style changed dramatically. His palette grew more vibrant, and his brushwork more expressive. His paintings, including the notorious “Starry Night” and “Sunflowers,” embody Post-Impressionism’s focus on symbolic, emotional meaning above objective truth.

The colour scheme of Starry Night encompasses a range of hues, from vivid yellows and greens to deep blues and purples. The grandeur of the night sky is captured in a dramatic and vivid composition created using contrasting hues.

A contrast is produced both visually and emotionally by the combination of vivid yellows and strong blues. These hues may represent the striking contrast between fleeting moments of enlightenment or clarity (bright yellow) and sorrow (dark blues).

The colour scheme stands in stark contrast to the artist’s earlier usage of muted tones in pieces like The Potato Eaters. 

Van Gogh’s creative theory may be understood through his correspondence with his brother Theo. His paintings undoubtedly demonstrate his goal of painting “with a great deal of emotion and a great deal of love,” as he put it.

Contemporary Techniques and Innovations

Impasto is an Italian phrase that means ‘smooth’ or ‘paste-like’. The method is used in painting to apply paint thickly to a specific region of the canvas, generally thick enough to show brush or painting-knife strokes.

Van Gogh is one of the painters that popularized this painting method. He used powerful, even aggressive colours that reinforced the feeling created by the subject to convey emotions in his paintings.

Instead of combining colours to get softer tones, the artist was able to brighten the colours and make the usage of complimentary colours more visible in the stroke by using pure and powerful colours directly from the tube and without modulation.

About this technique, van Gogh wrote:

“I follow no system of brushwork at all; I hit the canvas with irregular strokes, which I leave as they are, impastos, uncovered spots of canvas—corners here and there left inevitably unfinished—reworkings, roughnesses; well, I’m inclined to think that the result is sufficiently worrying and annoying not to please people with preconceived ideas about technique.”

The Emotional Resonance of Colour

Understanding the emotional resonance of colours enables artists to connect their work with the intended emotional reaction of the audience. Colour psychology is the study of how colours influence human emotions and conduct.

Colour is more than just a visual aspect; it is a strong language that expresses our feelings and perceptions. Red may indicate anger and urgency, whereas blue conveys calm and trust.

It is hard to stand in front of one of Van Gogh’s paintings and not have a strong reaction to the colour, which transmits sentiments of pain, joy, and even sadness. The choice of colour varies depending on the context within which the artwork lives.

Understanding the environment in which an art piece will be experienced contributes to picking a colour palette that speaks to the target audience.

Colour was an important part of Van Gogh’s work since it allowed him to communicate emotions and evoke moods. While his richly painted canvases remained tied to nature; their hues and rhythmic textures communicated the spiritual potential he thought an individual had.

Van Gogh’s mental health issues were a constant topic throughout his life, contributing to his tragic end by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His colour choices served as a vehicle for conveying these inner challenges and experiences.

On the emotional resonance of colour, Pablo Picasso said, “Colours, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.” Russian painter and art theorist Wassily Kandinsky, who was also greatly influenced by Van Gogh, said, “Colours produce a corresponding spiritual vibration, and it is only as a step towards this spiritual vibration that the elementary physical impression is of importance.” 

Conclusion

Van Gogh’s major paintings, Starry Night, Cafe, and Sunflower, beautifully represented his emotional and spiritual state. His work, distinguished by its rich colours, emotional intensity, and dramatic brushstrokes, has made an unforgettable mark on the art world.

His work had a significant impact on the development of contemporary paintings, including the works of Fauve painters and present-day artists. 

One of the first people to commend Vincent’s work was the French art critic Albert Aurier. He was particularly impressed by Van Gogh’s metaphorical power but also by his expressive use of colour and brushwork.

These same components—colour, brushwork, and symbolism—were what attracted young painters. Vincent Van Gogh left something of himself behind in the world, which is evident in the works of Pablo Picasso, Paul Gaugin, Henri Matisse, Francis Bacon, and many others who were inspired by him.

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