I came to work this morning and said to our secretary, “I need to be quiet today.” To which she responded, “And this is different how?” Apparently she is on to me, the quiet man — homo tacitus. My weekend was draining, so today has been a time mostly to be quiet and fill tanks again. My day has been taken up with a hospital visit, reading a couple of books, walking the building for an hour, and looking at this painting of Van Gogh’s Bedroom on loan to the Detroit Institute of Arts. I should go up to the DIA and see it. I expect he spent a few quiet days there.
Interesting,that looks like a self portrait (of him0 on the wall
The Toledo Museum of Art has a number of Van Goghs If you go in from the back parking lot, you go through the lobby, up the stairs, to the left through the “main” lobby, and go in a couple of galleries. The Cloister is a quieter place to sit than the Kresgge Court at the DIA. The cafeteria has a really nice offering, soup in a roll. They take a big multi-grain roll, cut a hole in it, and pour in thick soup.
Van Gogh had a tourtured soul. He “failed” at everything he tried, had huge problems communicating with people (one could almost hear someone say “Oh yeah Vinnie, cutting your own ear off is a real babe magnent”). In suiciding, he shot himself in the stomach and spent three days in pain untill he died. While arguably one of the most powerful painters of his time it is also believed that he was what we now call Bi-polar, or manic-depressent. He truly suffered for his Art -which he did not know the value of, but hoped that his brother Theo could sell the paintings to offset his feelings of debt to his family. In short, not what one might choose for a “Role-Model”.
As for needing quiet time, I have thought that the institutionally supported contemplative community is one of the babies thrown out with the bathwater of the Reformation. There is a huge need for such places, but limited funding (people will buy only so many fruitcakes, preserves and caskets). There are a lot of unknown Protestant Monks (and Nuns) out there….
..That’s a great comment Douglasah. I never knew just HOW Van Gogh killed himself.
Some sources claim that,during medieval times, many monasteries actually grew wealthy (by that days standards) from the donations they recieved and therefor were often prime targets for plundering.I question then whether the ‘Institution’ actually monetarily supported the monastic communities or was/is it more the monastics doing the supporting by passing on their (recieved) donations back to the central command,so to speak. I don’t know,but i do love the communial monastic concept,very socialist, don’t you think..?
More than one person has called me a monk, and now with the beard I resemble the part.
Yes, Vincent had a rough life. He and Vermeer are perhaps my favorite artists.
…Yes Chris ,you do resemble a monk,in more ways than one…but is it to be Bhuddist,Benedictine or Shaolin?.. decisions decisions..
Benedictine. I had my beard trimmed since the New Year’s Day picture I posted, so I look a little less monkish.
Douglasah, TMA is one of our favorite places. Chris proposed in front of the painting of Ulysses and Penelope. Those naked mythological figures did it for me and I just had to say yes.
http://www.lib-art.com/artgallery/2758-ulysses-and-penelope-francesco-primaticcio.html