van gogh
-
Self-optimization through art
•
1 min read
We are worth knowing, far more than what we give ourselves credit for. Rational assessment may say otherwise. But to believe that our work matters less than what’s deemed socially valuable or popular is insanity. We have to practice empathic firmness toward making our art. Only a few become naked and famous. After all, Van…
-
Hokusai’s great wave: a lesson in persistence
•
1 min read
Can we improve our craft over time? The Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) seemed to think so. “Until the age of 70, nothing I drew was worthy of notice. At 110, every dot and every stroke will be as though alive.” He only lived until 89, but he proved his theory of incremental improvement. He finished his most famous work,…
-
Van Gogh’s fascination with Japan
•
2 min read
Japanese art flooded Western Europe when in 1854, America forced Japan to open its borders to trade. Some of the prints of Japanese woodcuts made it all the way to Vincent Van Gogh in Paris. He grew obsessed with ukyio-e, or “pictures of the world,” joyful elements he copied into his own art. ‘Seeing with…
-
Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai finished his most famous work, The Great Wave, at the age of 71. Upon seeing the print, Van Gogh remarked: “These waves are claws, the boat is caught in them, you can feel it.” Read about Hokusai’s great wave: a lesson in persistence