A MOMENT OF ZEN AND SURPRISE
This was another block buster event. «Van Gogh - Dreaming of Japan» and «Hiroshige - The Art of Travel». I have been in front of the Pinacotheque a couple of times since they started but the crowds have daunted any enthusiam until today. There was no-one. I would think that everything that can be said about Van Gogh’s (1822-1885) physcological problems, his schizophrenia, his crises which all had an effect on his work and the way of seeing the world generally. He must be the one artist who is known by everyone I would think we can all describe one of his paintings be it a sunflower, a night scene, his bedroom.....etc. etc. Every time I see an exhibition of his, the colours flash in front of my eyes, his unmistakeble brush techniques along with his use of paint. However, I had never thought of his relationship with the art of Hiroshige or Japan. To my knowledge, there has not been such an exhibition done which confronts both artists and looking at the landscapes today, it was not diff