Van Gogh could readily be known as the greatest artists of all time, especially due to his immense popularity. I read an article yesterday about the most popular museums in the world, where they stated in some facets the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands was rated greater than the Louvre in Paris; see forbes.com.
The Louvre show cases thousands of works, whereas the Van Gogh Museum is simply about one man’s work; Vincent Van Gogh.
What a phenomenon! How many Museums are like this in the world, revolving around one person? And importantly, why?
Many will comment that his art is alive, has life and movement. His paintings so distinctively reveal these features.
The question I have for us today is, what is behind these features? And how can we attain to this calibre today?
To understand, we must understand the artist behind the art better. Van wrote many hundreds of letters to his younger brother Theo, where he is often explaining his artistic evolution. We see a maturing artist being established before our eyes from such humble beginnings.
He wrote, what I believe was a major key behind his dynamic paintings, the reason they had such life and movement:
“I want to touch people deeply with my art. I want them to say, he feels deeply, he feels tenderly.”
Friends, as a former missionary and pastor his heart for God and people continued to translate into his art, well after he ended that phase of his life.
Van Gogh knew God’s words from the bible and despite his failings carried God’s heart: Ephesians chapter 4, verses 1- 3 says, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Do listen to this video to give more details about this and how you can add the Van Goghian features of life and movement into your paintings and creative expression.
Enjoy:
Mark Rusic was born in Melbourne and has a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. He became a missionary to many, suffering hardship and poverty on Madura Island in Indonesia, in 1990 for about four years. He worked as a pastor-life coach with Hope International Ministries from 2002 to May 2023, playing a key role in raising up leaders and elders for the local Melbourne Hope church, which lead today. Mark has also been active in conducting yearly trips to remote Indigenous communities, bringing teams for training and outreach, which he initiated from 2015. He also established a salt and light ministry to empower saints of influence in the marketplace from 2017.
Mark is also an artist and an author and has written two books which are both a collection of his own paintings, photography, and poetry. These include ‘Iconic Melbourne of Australia’ and ‘Iconic Animals of Australia- With a voice to release your giant potential within,’ which are available now on booktopia.com.au and at leading book retailers. He has been counted among some of Australia’s best authors on several occasions through Dymocks since 2014 and continues to be a motivational speaker in various community groups, organisations, and churches.
He is currently pioneering his itinerant ministry to bless Indigenous people and empower the body of Christ, while working as an artist, author and speaker.