Today, Beer, Football and Mr Peanut once again celebrates the birthday of painter Vincent Van Gogh. I was lucky enough to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam last year, and what struck me most of all was Van Gogh's amazing ability to capture the human character, portrayed through light, colour and vibrancy. Van Gogh saw the overwhelmingly positive side to mankind, something that it is all too easy to forget in the modern world, but something that we should always remember. We are often shown the negative parts of human nature on the news and in the papers, but a brief look through some of Van Gogh's paintings reveal the truly wonderful side of humanity. Below are some of his lesser known paintings from Arles on the theme of his fellow man. I think I'll just let the paintings do the talking...
"An artist needn't be a clergyman or a churchwarden, but he certainly must have a warm heart for his fellow men".
(Paintings top to bottom: The Dance Hall of Arles; Ladies of Arles; Red Vineyard of Arles; The Arena at Arles)
