Final Examination: Assignments: minimum full in advance 2 December) 25 November highly encouraged A Note for the Graduate Students:

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1 ARH 4800/6798: Vincent van Gogh: Art & Myth Prof. Sheramy Bundrick, USFSP, fall 2009 Wednesdays 6-9:50 pm, Davis Hall 251 Office Hours: Tues 11:30-12:30, Wed 1-2pm, others days/times by appointment Office Location: Davis Hall 235 Contact: (office phone); by at or In this seminar, we will explore the drawings and paintings produced by Vincent van Gogh during his ten years as an artist ( ) and consider the impact his work has had on generations of artists and admirers. What about van Gogh has inspired such popularity that his paintings sell for millions of dollars and everyone knows his name? Can we discover the real van Gogh behind the myth? Students will consider primary source material, namely van Gogh s artworks and letters, as well as secondary sources which discuss various aspects of van Gogh s oeuvre. We will also look at representations of van Gogh in popular culture, e.g. in films and novels/children s books. Readings: Required texts, available for purchase in the USFSP campus Barnes and Noble and Bayboro Books: Judy Sund, Van Gogh (Phaidon, 2002) Ronald van Leeuw, ed., trans., The Letters of Vincent van Gogh (Penguin Classics, 1996) [students must purchase this edition/translation of the letters] Irving Stone, Lust for Life Other readings will be provided on Blackboard or as handouts. If you can get Ingo F. Walther and Rainer Metzger, Van Gogh: The Complete Paintings (Taschen, 2006) as a used book online, it s a good reference with images of all Vincent s paintings. Note the Van Gogh Gallery website ( an invaluable online source which has all paintings and drawings illustrated. Because this class is a seminar, there is a considerable amount of reading, intended to be done over the week. (Be aware, though, that there are a lot of pictures, so the page numbers in the syllabus are deceiving.) We will also be looking at documentaries and bio-pics over the semester, considering not only the information they do (or do not) provide, but also how van Gogh and his work are presented in each. Everybody has an agenda! Class Sessions: Every student is expected to keep up with the reading and participate actively in discussion. 15% of your course grade is based specifically on attendance and participation; this grade drops with each absence from class (and that includes leaving after the break!). Everyone will be given equal opportunity to speak and express their views while disagreements may pop up, you are expected to behave in a civil and professional manner toward each other (and toward me!). You are also expected to observe good classroom etiquette: no sleeping, texting, coming/going aimlessly, etc. All electronic devices, including laptops, are to be turned off. We can t have a good discussion if everybody s looking at a screen.

2 Final Examination: Because of the high level of reading and other work over the course of the term, there will be only one examination, to be given during finals week. The specific format will be outlined long in advance, but will likely include slide identifications and discussions. Assignments: ARH 4800 satisfies the Gordon Rule requirement and so involves a substantial amount of writing. In lieu of a lengthy research paper (difficult to accomplish when the whole class is writing about the same person!), you will keep a weekly journal recording your responses to the material we are studying. You will write a minimum of two full pages of text (500 words): see separate handout on Journal Topics. You must me your journal entry in advance of each night s class so I can see you ve done it (no later than 5pm on each Wednesday), although at that point I won t be grading it. We will also discuss journal entries as part of class discussion. You will hand in the final journal as hard copy the last night of class (2 December). In addition, you will prepare one minute class presentation (PowerPoint with images) on a pair of paintings. Presentation topics, listed in the schedule below, will be assigned on 2 September. Everyone will write a 4-5 page essay (not counting bibliography and illustrations) based on their class presentation; you may hand in the essay at your leisure, but no later than classtime on 25 November. Everyone MUST keep to time for their presentations; anyone going over 15 minutes will be stopped short and receive points off for poor planning. All students are highly encouraged to meet with me after the topics are assigned (either in person or as a phone conference), so I can point you toward sources and we can discuss ideas for your talk. You are also encouraged to meet with me again after your presentation to receive individualized feedback and discuss your final essay. A Note for the Graduate Students: You have the same expectations and assignments as the undergraduates, with a few exceptions: a) readings listed as recommended are required for you; b) you may choose to do a second presentation/essay instead of taking the final exam. You must decide which option you want the night we draw topics (2 September) you can t change your mind mid-semester. Grading Particulars: Journal 30% [includes the final grade on the journal plus successful completion each week of the topic] Class presentation & essay 30% Final examination 25% Attendance & participation 15% Schedule of Readings, Assignments & Topics for Discussion 26 August: Introduction to the course Topics: Themes of the course General discussion of the primary sources available for understanding

3 van Gogh (e.g. artwork, letters, other archival material) In-class exercise: Looking in-depth at one of van Gogh s letters In-class viewing: Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent van Gogh (doc. by Paul Cox, 1987) Recommended reading after this session: L. Jansen et al, Paper endures: Documentary research into the life and work of Vincent van Gogh [Blackboard] 2 September: Holland, Part One Reading: Sund ch. 1, Seeds Sown: The Makings of the Man, Sund ch. 2, Rerouted and Rerooted: Van Gogh Between City and Country, C. Zemel, Sorrowing Women, Rescuing Men: Van Gogh s Images of Women and Family [Blackboard] Letters 136, 150, 152, 164, 178, 192, 213, 219, 227, 228 [letter #s, not page #s] Recommended: G. Pollock, Stark Encounters: Modern Life and Urban Work in van Gogh s Drawings of The Hague, [Blackboard] Topics: van Gogh s early attempts at drawing and painting Early influences: 17th c Dutch art; graphic illustrations; the Hague School van Gogh s early approaches to portraiture, e.g. of Sien Hoornik and her family ESSAY/PRESENTATION TOPICS ASSIGNED TONIGHT 5 September (Saturday): Optional trip to MOSI to see the IMAX documentary Vincent van Gogh: Brush with Genius [details TBA after Prof. verifies showtime] 9 September: Holland, Part Two Reading: Sund ch. 3, Among Potato Eaters: The Painter Comes of Age, L. van Tilborgh, The Potato Eaters: Van Gogh s first attempt at a masterwork [BB] C. Zemel, The Spook in the Machine: Van Gogh s Pictures of Weavers in Brabant [BB] Letters 347, 400, 404, R52, 418 Recommended: G. Pollock, Van Gogh and the Poor Slaves: Images of Rural Labour as Modern Art [Blackboard] Topics: Van Gogh s peasant paintings and issues of social class (his & theirs) Van Gogh s still-life canvases: object and metaphor 16 September: Paris, Part One Readings: Sund ch. 4, Reinvention: Van Gogh in Paris, C. Homburg, Vincent van Gogh s Avant-garde Strategies [Blackboard] R. Thomson, The Cultural Geography of the Petit Boulevard [Blackboard] Recommended: C. Stolwijk, Theo van Gogh: A Life [book on course reserve at library circulation desk, see bibliography] P. Richard, Vincent van Gogh s Montmartre [Blackboard] Topics: Making connections: van Gogh and the painters of the petit boulevard (Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Emile Bernard, Paul Signac, etc.) Theo van Gogh & the machinations of the Parisian art market Parisian townscapes & still lifes

4 23 September: Paris, Part Two Readings: Sund ch. 5, Japanese Dreams: The Impact of Ukiyo-e, (pp only) T. Kodera, Van Gogh s Utopian Japonisme [Blackboard] C. Zemel, Self-Portraits: The Construction of Professional Identity from Van Gogh s Progress [Blackboard] Recommended: F. Orton, Van Gogh s Interest in Japanese Prints [Blackboard] Topics: Van Gogh s approaches to portraiture in Paris & his self-portrait series The influence of Japan and japonisme on the art of van Gogh and his contemporaries Presentations: Portrait of Père Tanguy (Rodin Museum, F363) and Seated Woman in a Café (Agostina Segatori?, F370) Flowering Plum Tree (after Hiroshige, F371) and Courtesan (after Eisen, F373) Self-Portrait as an Artist (Feb 1888 version, VGM, F522) and another Paris self-portrait of your choice 30 September: Arles, Part One: Seeking a Different Light Readings: Sund ch. 5 continued, pp V. Jirat-Wasiutynski, A Dutchman in the south of France [Blackboard] V. Jirat-Wasiutynski, Van Gogh in the South: Antimodernism and Exoticism [BB] D. Silverman, Framing Art and Sacred Realism [Blackboard] Letters 474, 497, B7, W5, 534, 539, 554 In-class viewing: The Private Life of a Masterpiece: The Sunflowers (BBC, 2004) Topics: Why did van Gogh go to the south of France? What was he hoping to find? Overview of the history, topography, and unique features of Arles Vincent s use of landscape and nature in his Arles paintings Vincent s evolving approach to color Presentations: Harvest (The Blue Cart, F412) and a Langlois Bridge painting of your choice The Night Café (F463) and Café Terrace on the Place du Forum (F467) The Yellow House (F464) and Vincent s Bedroom at Arles (Oct 1888 version, VGM, F482) Fishing Boats on the Beach at Saintes-Maries (F413) and Street in Saintes-Maries (F420) 7 October: Arles, Part Two: The Faces of Provence Readings: Sund ch. 6, The Great, Simple Thing: Portraiture at Arles, 1888 C. Zemel, Modern Citizens: Configurations of Gender in Van Gogh s Portraiture, from Van Gogh s Progress [Blackboard] V. Jirat-Wasiutynski, Van Gogh s Roulin [Blackboard] Letters 520, 521 In-class viewing: In a Brilliant Light: Van Gogh in Arles (Metropolitan Museum, 1984) Topics: Van Gogh s continued fascination with portraiture in Arles Presentations: Portrait of Joseph Roulin (seated, Boston MFA, F432) and Seated Zouave (F424) La Mousmé (F431) and L Arlésienne: Madame Ginoux [with books, Met. Museum, F488] La Berceuse: Madame Roulin (your choice which) and Madame Roulin with Baby [Met. Museum, F491]

5 14 October: Arles, Part Three: The Crisis Reading: Sund, ch. 7, Painting as a Recuperative Strategy: Art and Illness, (pp only, on the Arles period) B. von Bismarck, Avant et après Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh in Arles: Projections of a Friendship [Blackboard] M. Bailey, Drama at Arles: New Light on Vincent van Gogh s Self-Mutilation [BB] J. Hulsker, Critical days in the hospital at Arles [Blackboard] J. Hulsker, Vincent s stay in the hospitals at Arles and St-Rémy (Letters I-VI only--bb) The Arles Petition, petition, report, and inquest [Blackboard] Selected letters between Theo van Gogh and fiancée Johanna Bonger [Blackboard] Letters F (letter to Gauguin, p. 412ff.), 557, 564, 565, 570 Topics: Paul Gauguin s nine-week stay with van Gogh in Arles: partnership or competition? The ear incident : what really happened on December 23, 1888? Does Vincent s work reflect his mental state? What was wrong with him? Presentations: Vincent s Chair (F498) and Gauguin s Chair (F499) Self-Portrait as Japanese Bonze (F476) and Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe (F529) The Sower (Nov 1888, Zurich version, F450) and Memory of the Garden at Etten (F496) 21 October: Saint-Rémy, Part One Reading: Sund ch. 7 continued, pp J. Hulsker, Vincent s stay in the hospitals at Arles and St-Rémy (Letters VII-XII only--bb) J. Greer, A modern Gethsemane: van Gogh s Olive Grove [Blackboard] V. Jirat-Wasiutynski, Vincent van Gogh s Paintings of Olive Trees and Cypresses [BB] L. Soth, Van Gogh s Agony [Blackboard] Letters 592, 604, 605 Topics: Overview of the hospital at Saint-Rémy and contemporary psychiatric practices Discussion of the landscape around the hospital and its influences on van Gogh Meaning and metaphor in the Saint-Rémy canvases Presentations: Olive Trees with the Alpilles (June 1889, F712) and one of the Nov/Dec 1889 olive groves of your choice Starry Night (F612) and Wheat Field with Cypresses (London, Nat l Gallery, F615) [24 October (Saturday): St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading (USFSP campus) Prof. Bundrick will be giving a talk on Writing Van Gogh s World and signing copies of Sunflowers: A Novel of Vincent van Gogh. Time/specific location TBA. Festival admission is free!] 28 October: Saint-Rémy, Part Two Readings: Gabriel-Albert Aurier, Les Isolés: Vincent van Gogh [Blackboard] P. Mathews, Aurier and van Gogh: Criticism and Response [Blackboard] J. Sund, The Sower and the Sheaf: Biblical Metaphor in the Art of Vincent van Gogh [Blackboard] Excerpts from R. Pickvance, Van Gogh in Saint-Rémy and Auvers [Blackboard] Letters 625, 626a, 631 Topics: Van Gogh s interpretations of works by other artists (Millet, Délacroix, etc.)

6 Van Gogh s attitudes towards religious imagery and ideas Vincent starts to gain recognition in the art world: what s his response? Presentations: Pietà (after Délacroix, F630) and The Raising of Lazarus (after Rembrandt, F677) Wheatfield with Reaper at Sunrise (Sept 1889, F618) and Enclosed Field with Rising Sun (Dec 1889, F737) Blossoming Almond Tree (Feb 1889, F671) and Still Life with Irises (May 1890, VGM, F678) 4 November: Auvers-sur-Oise and the Last Days Readings: Sund ch. 8, Clinging to the Earth: Van Gogh s Last Weeks C. Zemel, The Real Country : Utopian Decoration in Auvers from Van Gogh s Progress [Blackboard] Letters W22, 641a, W23, 649 A.Ravoux, Memoirs of Vincent van Gogh s Stay in Auvers-sur-Oise [Blackboard] Letters concerning the death of van Gogh, including letters between Theo van Gogh and family members, and a letter from Emile Bernard to the art critic Gabriel-Albert Aurier about Vincent s funeral [Blackboard] Selected letters of condolence sent to Theo van Gogh after Vincent s death {Blackboard] Topics: The town of Auvers-sur-Oise and its longtime association with artists The role of the Gachet family in Vincent s last weeks Vincent s continued interest in portraiture Vincent s double-square-format landscape canvases from Auvers Vincent s death: issues, questions, controversies Presentations: Portrait of Dr. Gachet (priv. coll., F753) and Marguerite Gachet at Her Piano (F772) Church at Auvers (F789) and an Auvers cottage painting of your choice Crows over the Wheatfield (F779) and another Auvers wheatfield painting of your choice 11 November: NO CLASS (Veteran s Day Holiday) 18 November: Van Gogh on Film, Part One: Lust for Life In-class viewing: Lust for Life (dir. Vincente Minnelli, 1956, starring Kirk Douglas) Reading: Irving Stone, Lust for Life Topics (for discussion after the movie): How did Irving Stone mythologize the life of van Gogh? Which events in Vincent s life does he present as turning points? As major influences on van Gogh s art? How does he characterize Vincent s personality? What aspects of the myth are emphasized in the movie version? What impact did Lust for Life (book and film) have on the public perception of Vincent van Gogh in postwar America? Why did Americans embrace this image of the artist? 25 November: Van Gogh on Film, Part Two: Vincent and Theo In-class viewing: Vincent and Theo (dir. Robert Altman, 1990, starring Tim Roth) Topics (for discussion after the movie): How does Robert Altman s conception of Vincent compare with that found in Lust for Life? Was Vincent portrayed any differently on film in 1990 than in 1956? Any thoughts why?

7 Which events in Vincent s life does Altman emphasize? Why? How can we compare the performances/interpretations of Kirk Douglas and Tim Roth? LAST DAY TO HAND IN ESSAYS BASED ON PRESENTATIONS [Note: I will only accept essays in hard copy and *in person*--hand it in early if you plan to miss!] 2 December: The Afterlife of Vincent van Gogh Readings: Sund, ch. 9, Larger than Life: Van Gogh s Posthumous Reputation (pp ) G. Bamossy, Star gazing: The mythology and commodification of Vincent van Gogh [BB] A. Blühm, Displaying van Gogh, [Blackboard] Special Assignment: Each student will be assigned one of the following children s books: a) Joan Shaddox Jsom, The First Starry Night; b) Laurence Anholt, Van Gogh and the Sunflowers; c) Mike Venezia, Van Gogh (Getting to Know the World s Greatest Artists). Before class, read your selection and think about how the authors portray Vincent s story for children: not just in text, but in the illustrations too. We will break into groups, then come together as a class to compare/contrast this interesting sub-genre of van Gogh literature. Topics: The response of artists, collectors, and museums to Vincent s body of work Vincent s popularity today: pop culture, blockbuster exhibitions, exorbitant prices... What would Vincent think of his fame, had he lived to see it? How does the Vincent portrayed in films and popular culture relate to the Vincent you ve come to know in this course? JOURNALS DUE IN CLASS TODAY [only accepted in hard copy and in person!] 9 December: Final Examination (during regular class time) Bibliography of Course Readings: Martin Bailey, Drama at Arles: New Light on Vincent van Gogh s Self-Mutilation, Apollo 162 (September 2005): Gary Bamossy, Star gazing: The mythology and commodification of Vincent van Gogh, from Inside Consumption: Consumer motives, goals and desires (Routledge 2005): Beatrice von Bismarck, Avant et après Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh in Arles: Projections of a Friendship, Van Gogh Museum Journal (2001): Andreas Blühm, Displaying van Gogh, , Van Gogh Museum Journal (1999): Joan Greer, A modern Gethsemane: Vincent van Gogh s Olive Grove, Van Gogh Museum Journal (2001): Cornelia Homburg, Vincent van Gogh s Avant-garde Strategies, from C. Homburg, ed., Vincent van Gogh and the Painters of the Petit Boulevard (Saint Louis Art Museum, 2001): Jan Hulsker, Critical days in the hospital at Arles: Unpublished letters from the postman Joseph Roulin and the Reverend Mr. Salles to Theo van Gogh, Vincent 1, no. 1 (1970): Vincent s stay in the hospitals of Arles and St-Rémy: Unpublished letters from the Reverend Mr. Salles and Doctor Peyron to Theo van Gogh, Vincent 1, no. 2 (1971): Leo Jansen, Hans Luijten, and Fieke Pabst, Paper endures: Documentary research into the life and work of Vincent van Gogh, Van Gogh Museum Journal (2002): Vojtech Jirat-Wasiutynski, A Dutchman in the South of France: Van Gogh s Romance of Arles, Van Gogh Museum Journal (2002):

8 Van Gogh in the South: Antimodernism and Exoticism in the Arlesian Paintings, from L. Jessup, ed., Antimodernism and Artistic Experience (Univ. of Toronto, 2001): Vincent van Gogh s Paintings of Olive Trees and Cypresses from St-Rémy, Art Bulletin 75 (Dec 1993): Van Gogh s Roulin: Radical Republican and Socratic Type, in C. Bowen, S. Dackerman, and E. Mansfield, eds., Dear Print Fan: A Festschrift for Marjorie B. Cohn (Harvard Univ. Art Museums, 2001): Tsukasa Kodera, Van Gogh s Utopian Japonisme, from C. van Rappard-Boon, et al, eds., Catalogue of the Van Gogh Museum s Collection of Japanese Prints (Van Gogh Museum, 2008) Patricia Mathews, Aurier and Van Gogh: Criticism and Response, Art Bulletin 68 (1986) Fred Orton, Van Gogh s Interest in Japanese Prints, Vincent 1 (1971) Ronald Pickvance, Van Gogh in Saint-Rémy and Auvers (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1986). Griselda Pollock, Stark Encounters: Modern Life and Urban Work in van Gogh s Drawings of The Hague, , Art History 6 (Sept 1983): Van Gogh and the Poor Slaves: Images of Rural Labour as Modern Art, Art History 11 (Sept 1988): Pierre Richard, Vincent van Gogh s Montmartre, Jong Holland 4 (1988): Debora Silverman, Framing Art and Sacred Realism: Van Gogh s Ways of Seeing Arles, Van Gogh Museum Journal (2001): Lauren Soth, Van Gogh s Agony, Art Bulletin 68 (1986): Judy Sund, The Sower and the Sheaf: Biblical Metaphor in the Art of Vincent van Gogh, Art Bulletin (1988) Richard Thomson, The Cultural Geography of the Petit Boulevard, from C. Homburg, ed., Vincent van Gogh and the Painters of the Petit Boulevard (Saint Louis Art Museum, 2001): Louis van Tilborgh, The Potato Eaters: Van Gogh s first attempt at a masterwork, from L. van Tilborgh, ed., The Potato Eaters by Vincent van Gogh (Van Gogh Museum, 1993): Carol Zemel, Sorrowing women, rescuing men: Van Gogh s images of women and family, Art History 10 (1987): The spook in the machine: Van Gogh s pictures of weavers in Brabant, Art Bulletin 67 (1985): Van Gogh s Progress: Utopia, Modernity, and Late Nineteenth-Century Art (Univ. of California Press, 1997). Chapters listed above. Books on Reserve at USFSP Library: I have placed the following sources on course reserve (ask at circulation desk -- some are for libraryuse only, some for overnight or 3-day checkout), so that everyone can have easy and equal access to the best, most up-to-date books. You are expected to make full use of the relevant sources for your presentation and essay. I don t have time to go to the campus library is no excuse! The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, 3 vols., Introduction by V.W. van Gogh, Preface and Introduction by Johanna van Gogh-Bonger (1914) Distel, Anne, and Susan Alyson Stein. Cézanne to Van Gogh: The Collection of Doctor Gachet

9 (Exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1999). Dorn, Roland, et al. Van Gogh Face to Face: The Portraits (Exh. cat., Thames and Hudson, 2000). Druick, Douglas W., and Peter Kort Zegers. Van Gogh and Gauguin: The Studio of the South (Exh. cat., Thames and Hudson, 2001). Gayford, Martin. The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine Turbulent Weeks in Arles (Little, Brown, and Company, 2006). Herzogenrath, Wolf, and Dorothee Hansen. Van Gogh: Fields (Hatje Cantz, 2002). Heugten, Sjaar van, Joachim Pissarro, and Chris Stolwijk. Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night (Museum of Modern Art/Van Gogh Museum, 2008). Homburg, Cornelia. Vincent van Gogh and the Painters of the Petit Boulevard (Exh. cat., Saint Louis Art Museum, 2001). Ives, Colta, et al. Vincent van Gogh: The Drawings (Exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2005). Kendall, Richard, et al. Van Gogh s Van Goghs: Masterpieces from the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (National Gallery of Art, 1998). Leaf, Alexandra, and Fred Leeman. Van Gogh s Table at the Auberge Ravoux (Artisan, 2001). McQuillan, Melissa. Van Gogh (Thames & Hudson, 1989). Pickvance, Ronald. Van Gogh in Arles (Exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1984) Van Gogh in Saint Rémy and Auvers (Exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1986). Silverman, Debora. Van Gogh and Gauguin: The Search for Sacred Art (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2000). Stolwijk, Chris, and Richard Thomson. Theo van Gogh, (Van Gogh Museum, 1999). Thomson, Belinda. Van Gogh Paintings: The Masterpieces (Thames & Hudson, 2007). Walther, Ingo F., and Rainer Metzger. Van Gogh: The Complete Paintings (Taschen, 2006). Welsh-Ovcharov, Bogomila. Van Gogh in Provence and Auvers (Universe, 2008). Zemel, Carol. Van Gogh s Progress: Utopia, Modernity, and Late Nineteenth-Century Art (Univ. of California Press, 1997).