A new Vincent Van Gogh exhibition at London’s National Gallery has been described as a “once-in-a-century” show with rave reviews from critics. It opens on 14 September and features more than 60 pieces painted by the Dutch artist, who died in 1890 aged 37.
Lurid tales of his psychosis, ear cutting off episode, brothels and brawls and suicide by shooting compete for as much attention as his vibrant paintings. But the Times art critic takes another view. “While madness may be a good story and a better headline, it simply doesn’t tally with the exhilaration of the early Arles letters. Surely, too, it is more psychologically interesting to encounter a man working with such clarity, certainty and unbounded creativity, only to be felled at intervals by doubts, nightmares and melancholy beyond endurance. It makes the breakdowns, the ear-cutting and the gunshot all the more random and cruel.”
He was born 30 March 1853 11am Zundert, Netherlands, into a middle class family and showed signs of mental instability from his teens onward, suffering from depression and delusions. He had seven planets in his career 10th – an ambitious and unaspected Aries Sun with an inventive, trailblazing Uranus Pluto conjunction in Taurus plus Saturn in Taurus. His Mercury also in the 10th was conjunct Pluto giving him dark moods and extreme reactions at times. Most notable was his Jupiter Moon in Sagittarius in his creative 5th house opposition his North Node square a passionately enthusiastic Mars Venus in Pisces in his 10th.
His emphasized Mars Venus in Pisces would give him unbridled enthusiasm and for some reason makes me think of his appreciation of colour.
“He is fantastically receptive to light, the seasons, the “pale orange sunsets making the fields look blue” and “the glorious yellow suns”. Van Gogh found a landscape of “sky blue, pink, orange, vermilion, brilliant yellow, bright green, bright wine red, violet”.
An unaspected Sun would make him less dependent on outer relationships for validation. His Gemini North Node would also make him a free spirit.
When he shot himself his Progressed Moon was conjunct his Pluto intensifying his emotional reactions; his Progressed Mars was less than a degree conjunct his Mercury for a surge of anger. His Solar Arc Mars Venus has crossed his Pluto just before and were aiming to his Uranus – so even by his standards it was a high stress time. Perhaps most notable of all his Solar Arc Saturn had moved to conjunct his North Node and trigger his Mutable T Square of Jupiter, Node, Venus, Mars – which would damp his confidence. Tr Jupiter was also within a degree of being square to his Uranus – so maybe for a fleeting moment he wanted the relief of not being subject to dark and turbulent thoughts.
His posthumous ‘ghost’ chart at the moment for this exhibition has the upcoming Solar Eclipse opposition his Sun, tr Pluto square his Pluto and tr Neptune conjunct his focal point Mars Venus in Pisces.
The post Vincent Van Gogh – sacrificed on the altar of art first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
