VOA常速英语2007-Van Gogh Letters Offer Insight Into Artist's Lif

By Mona Ghuneim
New York
31 October 2007

Vincent van Gogh painted some of the most recognizable and most valuable paintings in the history of art, and he is often remembered in the context of being a poor and mentally ill eccentric. But a current exhibition in New York reveals a side of the Dutch artist seldom seen in typical van Gogh shows. It does so through words, rather than pictures. From VOA's New York Bureau, Mona Ghuneim has the story.

Vincent van Gogh produced almost nine hundred paintings and over a thousand watercolors and drawings during his short life, but he was also an avid¹ and prolific² writer of long letters. He wrote more than 800 letters, the majority to his brother Theo. During the last two years of his life - years he spent in the south of France where he produced some of his most celebrated³ works - van Gogh also corresponded with poet and fellow artist, Emile Bernard.

In a show called "Painted With Words," New York's Morgan Library focuses on 20 letters van Gogh wrote to Bernard from 1887 to 1889. Curator Jennifer Tonkovich says van Gogh's words in these letters show a side of the artist rarely seen by the general public.

"He's much more frank. He talks about sexual activity and about his health and his diet, and artistic⁴ matters, and religious and philosophical⁵ issues. So the letters tend to be more open, more expressive⁶, and the language is a little bit more immediate⁷ and less formal," she said.

Van Gogh met Bernard in Paris in 1886, and the two continued their friendship via correspondence when the Dutch artist decided⁸ to go south for health and inspiration.

While the whereabouts of the letters Bernard wrote to van Gogh are unknown, these letters from van Gogh are owned by a New York collector. They reveal a lively, intense and on-going dialogue between the two. In an English translation read by an actor in the exhibition's audio guide, we get a glimpse of the artist's mind.

"My dear old Bernard,

I'm quite curious to know what you've been doing lately. I'm still doing landscapes - sketch⁹ enclosed. I'd very much like to see Africa as well. But I'm hardly making any firm plans for the future. It'll depend on circumstances. What I should like to know is the effect of a more intense blue in the sky…"

Tonkovich says the letters span the final years of van Gogh's brilliant yet psychologically troubled life, prior to his suicide in 1890 at age 37. She says that while there are passages referring to his illness, most of the writing is hopeful, logical and rational. In one letter, van Gogh refers to what will become one of his most famous paintings, "Starry¹⁰ Night Over the Rhone."

"I won't hide the fact that I don't detest¹¹ the countryside, having been brought up there. Snatches of memories from old times… yearnings for that infinite. They still enchant¹² me as before. But when will I do the starry sky then, that painting that's always on my mind?"

Tonkovich says van Gogh's letters are popular in Europe, and scholars cite them often, but the general U.S. public has not seen them. She says the show is an opportunity for the public to take the time to read his thoughts and see van Gogh's work, in his own words. "You can't have blue without yellow or orange, and if you do blue, then do yellow and orange as well, surely. Ah well, you'll tell me that I write you nothing but banalities. Handshake in thought,

Ever yours, Vincent"

The letters in the exhibition are accompanied by paintings and sketches¹⁴ by van Gogh and Bernard. Curator Tonkovich says she integrated paintings and photographs, on loan from various institutions and owners, to better explain what the two artists were talking about in their letters.

She says van Gogh and Bernard mailed each other some of their paintings, and many of van Gogh's letters include sketches he drew next to his words.

Tonkovich says many visitors to the show will already know about van Gogh, but she hopes they will come to appreciate another side of the artist. "We don't have to teach them who he is but we can say, 'You know van Gogh. Here's a side of him you may not know about.' This relationship with Bernard, and it's going to enrich your understanding and appreciation¹⁵ for the artist, and especially for his letters," she said.

The installation offers full translations of the letters which were written in French and have been promised to the Morgan by New York collector Eugene Thaw¹⁶.

Although van Gogh calls his thoughts banal¹³ in one of the letters, banal is the last word that comes to mind when one thinks of van Gogh, and this exhibition is a dynamic show of words.

1 avid   

adj.热心的；贪婪的；渴望的；劲头十足的

参考例句：

• He is rich,but he is still avid of more money.他很富有,但他还想贪图更多的钱。
• She was avid for praise from her coach.那女孩渴望得到教练的称赞。

2 prolific   

adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的

参考例句：

• She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories.她是一位多产的作家，写了很多小说和短篇故事。
• The last few pages of the document are prolific of mistakes.这个文件的最后几页错误很多。

3 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

4 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

5 philosophical   

adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的

参考例句：

• The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
• She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。

6 expressive   

adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的

参考例句：

• Black English can be more expressive than standard English.黑人所使用的英语可能比正式英语更有表现力。
• He had a mobile,expressive,animated face.他有一张多变的，富于表情的，生动活泼的脸。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 sketch   

n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述

参考例句：

• My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
• I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。

10 starry   

adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的

参考例句：

• He looked at the starry heavens.他瞧着布满星星的天空。
• I like the starry winter sky.我喜欢这满天星斗的冬夜。

11 detest   

vt.痛恨，憎恶

参考例句：

• I detest people who tell lies.我恨说谎的人。
• The workers detest his overbearing manner.工人们很讨厌他那盛气凌人的态度。

12 enchant   

vt.使陶醉，使入迷；使着魔，用妖术迷惑

参考例句：

• The spectacle of the aurora may appear to dazzle and enchant the observer's eyes.极光的壮丽景色的出现,会使观察者为之眩目和迷惑。
• Her paintings possess the power to enchant one if one is fortunate enough to see her work and hear her music.如果你有幸能欣赏她的作品，“聆听”她的音乐，她的作品将深深地迷住你。

13 banal   

adj.陈腐的，平庸的

参考例句：

• Making banal remarks was one of his bad habits.他的坏习惯之一就是喜欢说些陈词滥调。
• The allegations ranged from the banal to the bizarre.从平淡无奇到离奇百怪的各种说法都有。

14 sketches   

n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概

参考例句：

• The artist is making sketches for his next painting. 画家正为他的下一幅作品画素描。
• You have to admit that these sketches are true to life. 你得承认这些素描很逼真。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

16 thaw   

v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和

参考例句：

• The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
• The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。