The notion that a picture is worth a thousand words is meant to convey the power of imagery. But what of the power of words—if they are Hemingway’s musings on a work of art, Van Gogh’s personal letters, or Michelangelo’s thoughts on his life and art expressed in his poetry?
Explore the alchemy that occurs at the intersection of art and literature in this Sunday afternoon series with David Gariff, senior lecturer at the National Gallery of Art.
Please Note: Individual sessions are available for individual purchase.
OCT 3 Van Gogh: Artist and Writer
Vincent Van Gogh’s own words offer some of the deepest insights into his paintings. Letters written across almost two decades refer not only to specific paintings but also his views on art, life, religion, nature, and his aspirations as an artist.
Most of the letters refer to specific paintings including the Self-Portrait from 1889, La Mousmé (1888), the Night Café (1888), the Yellow House (1888) and Bedroom at Arles (1888). Their literary quality was recognized by readers such as the poet W.H. Auden. He published an anthology of the letters in which he wrote, “There is scarcely one letter by Van Gogh which I, who am certainly no expert, do not find fascinating.”
These documents provide complementary written descriptions and small sketches related to specific paintings; his thoughts on relationships with family, friends, and fellow artists; and poignant insights into his world.
Recommended reading: The Letters of Vincent van Gogh (Mark Roskill, editor), Atheneum
NOV 7 The Poetry of Michelangelo
Much has been written about Michelangelo (1475-1564) the painter, sculptor, and architect. But Michelangelo was also a poet who left a substantial body of significant work. His poems were never published in his lifetime, but a number of them were circulated in manuscript form among his contemporaries.
Many of Michelangelo’s poems are specific references to the challenges related to some of his most important creations, from sculptures such as David and the Pietàs to the Sistine Chapel ceiling paintings. Other poems reveal his thoughts on love, religion, neoplatonism, fame, and the devotion and hard work necessary to become a great artist. The themes are often deeply personal, especially when his poems are on aging and his perceived shortcomings and failures as an artist.
Recommended reading: Complete Poems and Selected Letters of Michelangelo, Princeton University Press
DEC 5 Ernest Hemingway, Joan Miró, and The Farm (1921-22)
Ernest Hemingway’s most beloved possession was the painting by the Spanish artist Joan Miró titled The Farm, housed today in the National Gallery of Art. For both the painter and the writer The Farm crystallized everything that was true and noble about Spain, or more specifically, Catalonia and the Catalan people. Miró referred to the painting as “a résumé of my entire life in the country.” For Hemingway, who first met Miró in 1923, the painting embodied “… all that you feel about Spain when you are there and all that you feel when you are away and cannot go there. No one else has been able to paint these two very opposing things.”
The painting—its subject and larger political and cultural significance—signified a lifelong personal touchstone for both men. The role it played in their lives reveals a host of artistic insights into the relationship between word and image, reality and imagination, and finally, between tradition and modernist innovation.
Recommended reading: Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon, Scribner
3 sessions
Photo caption (upper right): Clockwise: Self-Portrait, by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889, Musée d'Orsay; Michelangelo's Moses, church of San Pietro in Vincoli; Mas Miró, Joan Mirós’ family farmhouse and inspiration for the painting "The Farm"
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit per session*
Patron Information
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*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit per session. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.
