Vincent van Gogh in Basel

Vincent van Gogh : Between Earth and Heaven: The Landscapes
April 26 – September 27, 2009

In a spectacular, comprehensive exhibition taking place from April to September 2009, the Kunstmuseum Basel is staging the first showing worldwide of the landscape paintings by the legendary artist Vincent van Gogh. Seventy paintings – both world-famous key works as well as paintings barely seen previously by the general public – will give a completely new insight into van Gogh’s body of work.

In addition, forty masterpieces by contemporaries, from Kunstmuseum Basel’s world-famous collection, will place van Gogh’s groundbreaking approach to nature in a broader context. A multimedia introduction to the life and work of van Gogh will open up the exhibition to the general public. This makes the exhibition the most important European art event in 2009.

I finally went to the above exhibition today. It was a perfect occasion to view the paintings being an unusually hot and sunny day which gave a different ambiance to a usually cold museum. And the crowd did not deter my enjoyment of the exhibition.

I have always been fascinated with and loved Van Gogh's works. A couple of times the tragic painter had even solicited tears from me - once while shaving in the morning, the tears just came out as I listened to Josh Groban's rendition of Don McLeann's 'Vincent/Starry, starry night' - a beautiful song about Van Gogh's sad and misunderstood life.

Another time, Summer 2005 , in the Musee D'Orsay in Paris, standing in a room full of Van Gogh's marvellous paintings, I had tears in my eyes looking at the marvellous works by the artist who in his lifetime could not sell but only one painting, and today his works are so priceless that even countries would not be able to afford one!

Next year the biggest exhibition of Van Gogh's work in 40 years is to be staged in the Royal Academy of Arts London from 23 January 2010 to 18 April.Over 90 paintings and drawings plus the artist's personal letters will go on show at the exhibition entitled ' The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters'. I hope I will still be here next year to be able to make it to London for the show!

Starry, starry night

Portraits hung in empty halls,

Frameless head on nameless walls,

With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,

How you suffered for your sanity,

How you tried to set them free.

They would not listen, they did not know how.

Perhaps they'll listen now.

For they could not love you,

But still your love was true.

And when no hope was left in sight

On that starry, starry night,

You took your life, as lovers often do.

But I could have told you, Vincent,

This world was never meant for one

As beautiful as you...

http://youtu.be/nkvLq0TYiwI