Yellow is a color very present in Van Gogh’s paintings, which is at the same time part of what characterizes his works, In fact, he himself even said yellow phrases like:
There is a sun, a light that for lack of another word I can only call yellow, pale sulfur yellow, pale golden lemon. How beautiful yellow is! – .
But when we talk about yellow and Vincent van Gogh, some myths arise that It is important to clarify with data provided by the BBC on the subject.
Why did you use yellow so much?
In addition to the color blue, yellow is noticeable in his works, and although the yellow tone has changed over time in the paintings that are preserved by this great painter, at his best he flashed a unique brilliance that only yellow can reflect.
Some of those works are The Sunflowers, Wheat Field with Crows, Coffee Terrace at Night, The Coffee at Night, Vincent’s Room in Arles and Wheat Fields.
The sunflowers (1888-1889).
However, his predilection and apparent love for the color yellow has nothing to do with , but with other interesting aspects.
At that time, during the 19th century, a new pigment called chrome yellow was developed, which he began to use more and more, although it is said that not only for his works, since there is a myth that points to Van Gogh as a person who ate yellow paint.
I didn’t eat yellow paint
There is much talk about Vincent van Gogh’s mental health, about which there are various speculations based on his letters, paintings, among others, even more so because of the mystery of his death, since it is not known if he was murdered or if he removed his life.
However, it is possible that throughout his life he suffered from many depressive moments, which is why his doctor Paul Gachet suggested the use of the plant. Digitalis purpureawhich had the function of helping with some pathologies, such as manic-depressive crises.
Portrait of Doctor Gachet (1890).
Unfortunately, some patients who consumed it in excess developed xanthopsia, a pathology that influenced the perception of colors. This is how Vincent observed her surroundings with a kind of yellowish filter, which was caused by her medicine.
It is deduced that Vincent’s xanthopsia was mild, due to the use of other colors in the paintings, this information denying the myth that Van Gogh ate yellow paint, since the use of yellow has its reasons, and it is not because he was obsessed with its tones.