Art

Did Van Gogh use Tea Towels?

Trees in the Garden of St. Paul HospitalA recent research by the Van Gogh Museum, has focused on works by Van Gogh which were not done on canvas.
Supposedly, the painter ran out of materials, specifically canvases, and started painting on virtually any surface he could paint on. Sometimes he painted over existing art, sometimes he used paper, and even cloth.

The examination of the works that Van Gogh created during his time in the mental asylum in Saint Remy reveal that the artist used a tea towel for “The Large Plane Trees” and “Wheatfields in a Mountainous Landscape.”

Van Gogh tended to use unorthodox materials only when he had to, so these oils on tea towel tend to be dated together. Van Gogh was often short of money and materials.

About the Author

Amitai Sasson of overstockArt.com is an art world traveler on a mission to seek out the beauty and passion of the art world. As an avid enthusiast of art and oil paintings, he contributes to ArtCorner.com as Chief editor and writer.