Vincent Van Gogh 58 - To The Hague To Seek Art & Artistes Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon
Vincent Van Gogh 58 - To The Hague To Seek Art & Artistes
After making several sketches of the countryside,
And people who toiled day in and day out,
Bending their body, digging, cutting, cooking,
Wherein he could draw their hands, legs in action
That showed off the omoplate and the shoulder blades,
Sticking out due to severe exertion and constant bending,
Once again, the bug of meeting an artiste bit Vincent.
His earlier two adventures to Belgium by foot
And the hardships he faced without any food or money,
Was not something that could be easily forgotten.
Vincent wrote to his brother, seeking his advice.
Ever gracious, Theo invited him to Paris.
But Vincent felt he was not ripe enough for Paris yet.
He felt his paintings were still clumsy and amateurish.
He preferred making a visit to the capital of his own country-
The Hague, just a few hours away from his home,
To establish a contact with an artiste
And continue to work in a studio.
Theo agreed and suggested two names in The Hague.
Theo also sent him money for his travel expenses.
The decision to travel to The Hague was made.
He carefully wrapped up all his paintings,
And set out with hope to meet artistes.
As suggested by Theo, the first person to meet
Was Mijnheer Tersteeg - Manager of Goupil & Company.
Mijnheer Tersteeg had succeeded his Uncle Vincent Van Gogh
And was the founder of The Hague school of painting.
Perhaps, the most important art dealer of Holland!
People from all over the country came looking for him,
Seeking his advice and opinion on art.
As Vincent got off at the station, he remembered
He was here, eight years back, working for Goupils.
Back then, his Uncle Vincent Van Gogh was the owner.
He was the favourite nephew of his Uncle Van Gogh.
Everybody liked him and it was even rumoured
That one day, he would head Goupils & company.
What had gone wrong? Briefly, as he walked past
The narrow, winding Wagenstraat, then, towards Plaats,
A wave of emotion welled up inside Vincent's heart,
Where was God, when he suffered so much last eight years?
A Biographical Poem
Liked the character of Theo, a wonderful brother, who was always supportive of Van Gogh no matter what. In my own humble opinion, he was instrumental in Van Gogh's successes.
Thank you, my friend, Dr. Geeta for sharing the biographical poems; Van Gogh. Very informative, interesting, inspiring and touching.
Another episode in the life of Vincent. A marked turning point in his artistic pursuit. Touchingly written, Geeta.
I really having a fabulous time reading this wonder work of yours.
The apprehension must have been unbearable for Vincent. I can't even imagine what it must have been like for him to reflect on those last eight years. Dear Geeta, you have masterfully kept us in suspense throughout the whole series!
What a lovely and important project you have going on concerning the artistry of the incomparable Van Gogh,5 billion stars, my dear poet
A fantastic verse. This is a remarkable entry in a brilliant series.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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7/25/2025 10:41:07 AM # 1.0.0
Another wonderful Vincent Van Gogh series! Very touching and inspiring. A reader who went through with this spectacular series could really feel the wave of emotion he felt in his heart when he suffered so much. Van Gogh is an epitome of a great human being with a unique character.