SUNFLOWERS
Date Posted: 22nd September 2024
What is it about sunflowers and artists? Even the most miserable painters were drawn to them - even Percy Kelly splashed the yellow paint about at times. After our non summer … again… we are all up for a bit of cheering up.
What could be better than a visit to the National Gallery for their first major exhibition of Van Gogh’s works - Poets and Lovers - marking their bi-centenary. A hundred years ago they acquired one of his sunflower paintings and The Yellow Chair painted in 1888 so it just squeezed through the turn of the century rule for acquisitions..
In 1958, when I was at college in London I met a young man at LSE fresh from National Service who would queue on a Saturday morning to get stool tickets at the Old Vic, Royal Opera House, Sadlers Wells and many of the musicals but he’d never visited the galleries. Like many people from the provinces he was overwhelmed by the austere buildings full of dark oils and massive sculptures mainly based on biblical subjects. We were at a CND demonstration in Trafalgar Square when I lured him into the National Gallery promising to show him just one painting – It was Van Gogh’s sunflowers. On one of our anniversaries (yes, I married him!) we went to Arles in Southern France and identified some of the scenes he painted although the yellow house he shared for a time with Gaugin was bombed in the war. We cycled over the Alpiles to St Remy where Van Gogh spent time in a mental hospital. A nun (illicitly) showed us his room after he’d sliced off his ear in 1888. It is a calm and tranquill place but he shot himself in northern France in 1889.
So it was with a sense of déjà vu that I sat in front of Sunflowers again for a long time last monday. This is the best exhibition I’ve ever seen at the National Gallery. All of the 61 works on display were made during his 2 year sojourn in Provence and they dance with light and colour. It is essential to have a timed ticket and it was busy but not too crowded and we were not constantly moved on. I was there for over 3 hours and loved every minute. This is not to be missed.
Kelly too was fascinated by sunflowers and made many drawings, paintings and prints of them - quite different from Van Gogh of course. A very large and beautiful one was in April’s Scene and Unseen at Theatre by the Lake and was much admired but is difficult to photograph. I have put his sunflower print in Prints for Sale on www.percykelly.co.uk .
PS. As a result of my last newsletter featuring Kirkgate in Cockermouth - the subject of the latest Kelly etching - I have found out more about Jonty Brame who owned the café in the foreground. It was called Over the Top. Before that it was Martin’s the grocer. Best of all - Jonty is now in sheltered housing in Penrith and when I have discovered the address, I will go and see him and thank him again for his kindness all those years ago.
Apologies for the spelling mistake in last month's newsletter. It wasnt in all of them as I noticed and corrected it
Don't forget the printing courses in the market place print studio in Cockermouth that I referred to in that newsletter.