An interesting fact from the biography of the famous post-impressionist Vincent Van Gogh is that he devoted 7 years of his life to 7 years of creative work. These were the last years in his life, when the artist was able to create a huge number of works left in the history of world art. His work is a vivid example of post-impressionistic painting.
The painting “Embankment with ships in Antwerp” refers to the Dutch period of the artist’s work, when he took lessons from Antoine Muave and only began his journey in art. He is just beginning to work in color, as he has long been achieving clarity in the drawing. This is reflected in his works through a tonal monochrome palette. There are no bright, screaming open flowers, which can be seen in the works of the late period, but these pictures are interesting for their silhouette solution, tonal relations and the transfer of the emotional state of the artist.
On the canvas there is an overcast evening on the quay in Antwerp. The ships have already moored to the shore, and only a light smoke is flowing from their pipes. The masts of the ships create a rhythm with vertical accents, while the main composition of the picture is represented by the contours of the ship’s silhouettes. The gray, gloomy sky is overcast and it seems like it’s raining.
On the beach, light strokes underlined the glare from the wet earth. There is no wind, the sea is calm and serene. The color scheme is chosen so well that you can feel the state of nature in this landscape. Raw and dank weather casts sad thoughts when you want to be alone and forget yourself in your thoughts. The artist was interested in depicting nature in different states, so he experimented in his paintings, honing his skills and developing author’s style. This landscape is a harbinger of his further creative successes.
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