Lido Gallery

The Only Painting Van Gogh Sold in his Lifetime

2012-02-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

Contrary to popular belief, Van Gogh did sell one painting during his lifetime. It was exhibited in Brussels in 1890 and sold for 400 francs (equal to about $1,000-1,050 today) to Anna Boch, an impressionist painter and friend of Van Gogh’s. The painting, Red Vineyard at Arles,now hangs in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.

Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo from Arles and described the scene he subsequently painted: "... we saw a red vineyard, all red like red wine. In the distance it turned to yellow, and then a green sky with the sun, the earth after the rain violet, sparkling yellow here and there where it caught the reflection of the setting sun."

Red Vineyard at Arles (1888) Oil on Burlap

2012-02-08T10:42:00.001-08:00

The First Art Review of Vincent Van Gogh’s Painting

G. Albert Aurier (5 May 1865 – 5 October 1892) was a poet, art critic and painter. He was also the first to publish a review of the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh while Van Gogh was alive. The following is an excerpt from the article followed by a response from Van Gogh himself.

G. Albert Aurier Mercure de France, January, 1890

Beneath skies that sometimes dazzle like faceted sapphires or turquoises., that sometimes are molded of infernal, hot, noxious, and blinding sulfurs; beneath skies like streams of molten metals and crystals, which, at times, expose radiating, torrid solar disks; beneath the incessant and formidable streaming of every conceivable effect of light, in heavy, flaming, burning atmospheres that seem to be exhaled from fantastic furnaces where gold and diamonds and similar gems are volatilized--there is the disquieting and disturbing display of a strange nature, that is at once entirely realistic, and yet almost supernatural, of an excessive nature where everything--beings and things, shadows and lights, forms and colours--rears and rises up with a raging will to howl its own essential song in the most intense and fiercely high-pitched timbre: Trees, twisted like giants in battle, proclaiming with the gestures of their gnarled menacing arms and with the tragic waving of their green manes their indomitable power, the pride of their musculature, their blood-hot sap, their eternal defiance of hurricane, lightning and malevolent Nature; cypresses that expose their nightmarish, flamelike, black silhouettes, mountains that arch their backs like mammoths or rhinoceri; white and pink and golden orchards, like the idealizing dreams of virgins; squatting, passionately contorted houses, in a like manner to beings who exult, who suffer, who think; stones, terrains, bushes, grassy fields, gardens, and rivers that seem sculpted out of unknown minerals, polished, glimmering, iridescent, enchanting, flaming landscapes, like the effervescence of multicoloured enamels in some alchemist's diabolical crucible; foliage that seems of ancient bronze, of new copper, of spun glass; flowerbeds that appear less like flowers than opulent jewelry fashioned from rubies, agates, onyx, emeralds, corundums, chrysoberyls, amethysts, and chalcedonies; it is the universal, mad and blinding coruscation of things; it is matter and all of Nature frenetically contorted . . . raised to the heights of exacerbation; it is form, becoming nightmare; colour, becoming flame, lava and precious stone; light turning into conflagration; life, into burning fever.

Such . . . is the impression left upon the retina when it first views the strange, intense, and feverish work of Vincent van Gogh, that compatriot, and unworthy descendent of the old Dutch masters.

To read the entire review click here: http://www.vggallery.com/misc/archives/aurier.htm

An Excerpt of Van Gogh’s letter to Aurier in Response to the Article:

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Sunday, 9 or Monday, 10 February

Dear Mr Aurier,

Thank you very much for your article in the Mercure de France,1 which greatly surprised me. I like it very much as a work of art in itself, I feel that you create colours with your words; anyway I rediscover my canvases in your article, but better than they really are — richer, more significant. However, I feel ill at ease when I reflect that what you say should be applied to others rather than to me . . .

Van Gogh continues the long letter describing artists, inspirations and techniques that he admired, and ends with:

. . . In the meantime, dear sir, please accept my grateful thanks for your article. If I were to come to Paris in the spring I shall certainly not fail to come and thank you in person.

Vincent van Gogh

Bring your vacation home with you!

2011-07-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

We hope you enjoyed a wonderful summer vacation this year; but we know that even the most fabulous of vacations never seem to last long enough. We'd like to help you extend your vacation by custom framing those special memories!

Whether you took photos, purchased art, or picked up some souvenirs along the way, we have wonderful ideas to help you preserve and treasure them now and forever!

Frame a fabulous photo, a collection of souvenirs or a beautiful shell or leaf you collected while camping. The possibilities are endless.

Stop in to work with one of our designers to create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece and start reliving those sweet summertime memories!

Your treasures = One of a kind art

Pictured: Foreign Currency and Theater Memorabilia Collages

Caring for Framed Art

2011-06-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

The right moulding choice can take the ordinary to the extraordinary, but how do you care for your framed art once you get it home? These simple guidelines provided by Larson-Juhl, a leading manufacturer of fine art frames, will help you keep your art free from the dust and dirt that can build up over time.

Frames:

Use a feather duster or a very soft, clean cloth to keep your frames free of dust. Avoid any cleaning products and abrasive towels that may scratch the frame. If something splatters onto a frame, remove it immediately with a soft, barely damp rag. Try not to handle gilded frames unless you are wearing gloves as oil in the skin can leave spots that may discolor with time.

Fabric Liners:

Fabric wrapped liners may be difficult to feather dust. You may actually push the dust into the grain of some fabrics. Instead, try a vacuum with a soft brush attachment or compressed air like you may use to clean a keyboard.

Glass:

The way you care for the glass covering your framed art may depend on what type of glazing was used. The Lido Gallery staff can provide specific directions for an appropriate cleaner. In general, simply leave the framed piece alone with the exception of periodic cleaning. Feather dusting helps remove dust particles that may land on the glass. You can also use a soft lint-free cloth and glass cleaner. Never spray the cleaner directly on the glass. Instead spray onto the rag and then wipe the glass.

Closely inspect the glass on a regular basis to see if it appears clear on the inside too. Various chemicals in dyes and inks used to make prints and mats can potentially off-gas. This may result in a cloudy residue on the inside of the glass. You can take the piece to your local framer to have it opened up, cleaned and placed pack in the frame.

Acrylic (Plexi-glass):

Acrylic is an alternative you can choose instead of glass. It is much less likely to break and if it does, it won't shatter into hundreds of pieces. The downside can be the ease with which acrylic can be scratched. Avoid cleaning it with abrasive cleaners or abrasive cloths.

The best way to take care for acrylic is:

feather dusting
acrylic/plastic cleaner
soft, non-abrasive cloths

Our best advice is to clean it before it appears to need it. If you have to rub hard to remove particles or smudges, you increase the chance of damaging the finish.

Visit http://www.larsonjuhl.com/product-care.aspx for more great tips to keep your framed art looking its best well into the future.