IN PERSON: This lecture course will explore the remarkable life and artistic development of Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh's life moved between the worlds of religion and art, reflecting the ministerial world of his father and the artistic world of his mother and her family. As young men, Vincent and his brother Theo worked in their uncle's art gallery, after which Vincent immersed himself in religious activities, eventually becoming a missionary in Belgium. We will delve into his complex inner life and psychological struggles and their expression in his art, in part by examining the extensive correspondence he maintained with Theo over many years. His began his life as an artist at 27 years old without a formal art education but with great intensity. He mastered the principles of color unlike any other artist of his time. Despite his short life as an artist, he made profound contributions to the use of color and is considered one of the most influential and recognizable artists of modern times. | Lecture + Q&A.
Max enrollment: 30.
Location: Judea Reform Congregation, 1933 W. Cornwallis Rd, Durham NC 27705
Gustavo Montana, a Duke emeritus professor of radiation oncology, has a long interest in Van Gogh's art, life and mental illness. As a physician, Montana believes that an appreciation of art allows individuals to better observe the human condition. Over the course of his career, he found it meaningful to encourage his trainees to draw as a means to better understand the illnesses of the patients they worked with.