Review – Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers at The National Gallery
London Van Gogh exhibition is a must-see
The National Gallery has brought together 61 paintings and drawings by Vincent Van Gogh, in a tremendous exhibition running until January next year.
The central London art gallery is celebrating its 200th birthday this year and has opened Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers, as part of its anniversary festivities.
The exhibition focuses on a two-year period covering his time in Arles and Saint-Rémy, which The National Gallery describes as a ‘decisive period’ in his life as a painter. It’s one, they say, where he created a ‘landscape of poetic imagination and romantic love on an ambitious scale.’
The collection includes those owned by The National Gallery, some loaned from other galleries and some loaned from private collectors.
As well as being the 200th birthday of the gallery, it’s also exactly 100 years since it acquired its own Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’, 1888 back in 1924.
This is one of those events where you don’t need to be an artist, arty or in any way show a proclivity towards painting and art to enjoy this exhibition.
Walking in and straight away being hit by a piece of work as wondrous as Van Gogh’s The Poet’s Garden (Public Garden at Arles) knocks you sideways.
It’s as if it radiates its very own light source, an effect that can also be seen in both Sunflowers. You want to get up close to see every brush stroke but also stand back where the light in the paintings tells a second story.
Half way around it felt hot and heady, a combination of both the heat in the gallery and the sheer overwhelm of the pure beauty in one concentrated place.
Standing in a central point where some of the most famous paintings in the world can be seen stretching through a 360 view makes the room spin.
We went as tourists, spending 1.5 hours in total. The day was completely sold out, making it quite busy with a lot of shuffle-stopping.
Despite the busyness, it was possible to see every piece of work and spend a respectable amount of time in front of each before moving up for the next person.
The event is sold out at peak times, so it’s worth getting a ticket now before they’re gone.
Yes, you can see pictures of Van Gogh’s work online, or in books and on postcards. But nothing beats the experience of being in the presence of these paintings, which brings you into a story behind every brush stroke.
Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers is running until 19 January 2025
For more information or to book, visit: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/van-gogh-poets-and-lovers
Featured Image: Van Gogh The Poet’s Garden (Public Garden at Arles) 1888) – Private collection © Courtesy the owner
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