To anyone who has the opportunity do not miss the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam.. it nicely shows his progression from “ the Potato Eaters “ through “ Sunflowers” and beyond.
@monte3 A friend of mine went there just to see one of Van Gogh paintings and didn't know the painting was a reproduction as the Original was in the Guggenheim in new York. She never knew this and a month later she went to New York and never went to the Guggenheim. If only she had known.. lol
@Kwek00 truthfully I had not heard of it before the Amsterdam Museum, but here a big deal was made about it being the end of his “lts ain’t the peasants “ ped and his move to the way more exciting things going on in Paris. The critics apparently hated it.
@usher I went to the Thysen collection in Madrid, because it had 3 van Goghs and I wanted to see them. And they were loaned out to the museum in New York. Yankee bastards 😤
@Kwek00 haha, yes, New York has got many painting on loan over the years. But of course it's so great to see so many dutch painters being appreciated across the pond. Van Gogh is still my no. 1 painter ever. He was a true genius.
@usher Well, I like his late stuff a lot. I'm not that familiar with what happened between 1880-1887. The Potato-Eaters is pretty famous though, I'm not sure if younger people would know it but I've seen it mention enough in my youth. And what is often described here as his best work is "Wheatfield with Crows". Because it showcases the style he uses pretty well. There is also a fascination because he goes against the conventions, because his horizon is placed really high to what was expected from a painter.
@monte3 The truth is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to these things... unless the artist left some reasoning. But I have no idea. On the other hand, if you look at a wheatfield out here, it's pretty normal that it's infested wih crows. Espescially when the wheat has just been cut off. Then it's a real feast.
@Kwek00 yes, this painting is smothered with critic analyses and it is a goldmine for those studying Van Gogh to understand the man and the paintings. It tears at my heart strings to see such wonderful work and to think of his harsh life. but his art more than anything brightens up my life immensely. Can't help thinking of the movie 'Lust for life' which portrayed his life so well.
[quote]Met zijn korenvelden onder woeste luchten wilde Van Gogh weliswaar ‘triestheid, extreme eenzaamheid’ uitdrukken, maar tegelijkertijd wilde hij ook laten zien ‘hoe gezond en hartversterkend ik het platteland vind.'[/quote]
which translated a bit like: "With his wheatfield under a dark grim sky he wanted to represent his sadness and soltitude/loneliness. But he also wanted to express how healthy and [i]couraging[/i] the country life could be"
... and I use "couraging", because I have no idea to translate it. literally it would be translated in "heart-strengthening" [i]([b]EDIT:[/b][/i] Rejuvenating[i], is probably better)[/i]
@usher Not seen it honestly. I also am not super well versed in the mans' life either. I just know that at the end of it, he was a pretty sad drunk. But what he painted speaks to me. There are somethings I can stare at for a long while. And that's what makes him great. But I'm not sure if I could rank all these artists. There is just so much good stuff out there, and it feels like comparing apples and oranges.
Like... how can you measure a Rubens vs a Van Gogh? It's pretty hard for me. Or Edward Hopper vs a Van Eyck? Or Goya vs Picasso? Or Margrite vs Monet? Or Hieronymus Bosch vs Caspar David Friedrich?
There is just so much really good stuff and the styles are so diffrent that they aren't really playing in the same league.
@monte3 When it comes to most of my painting knowledge... I just look at it and wonder if I like it. But when you start adding other context, you can find deeper meaning which will change your perception of what is in front of you. And when I go to an exhibit in a museum, I expect to get that content. But my knowledge of these people of which I like works from, is verry shallow.
And of cours, because it's all tastes and colours annyway. What ever you say on this toppic is always right, there is no real discussion to be had.
When you were in the Netherlands? Picked up some Hieronymus Bosch works too? They had an exhibit of him in Madrid, but I couldn't go because we had a thight schedual.
We where in Amsterdam the fall before covid, 2019. The weather was terrible but Gods I loved the city. We did not have time for anymore of the Netherlands. @Kwek00
@monte3 Yeah, it's a pretty fun city. A bit to much tourism at times but I still like it. I have some friends living, and there was Blood Bowl tournament every year in September that I've visited for years. But I've never really visited the city and done anny real tourism, in the sense of looking at musea or really look around for architecture. After the tournament we just ended up in the city for drinks. And because of our friends living there, they often knew where we could escape the extreme bussiness and end up in some oldschool dutch bar where we could start some "flemish dutch" vs dutch bickering at the bar.
@monte3 It's a boardgame, that has some following, and thus tournaments are organised. In the Netherlands, they used to have one of the bigger tournies in Amsterdam with more then a 100 people.
2 players are playing a fantasy style rugby match. It's a strategic game like chess, but it also has a luck factor since certain actions are decided by dice. You can influence [i](better your chances)[/i] by strategic positioning. And the game is assymetrical... there are diffrent teams that all have their pros and cons. The object is to pick up the ball, and make sure it reaches the opposing players endzone. You have 2 halves of 8 turns. The person with the most touchdowns at the end of 16 turns wins.
This is a tournament that was held in England. Not sure if it still excists, but I went there once.
@Vivaci It's just a game. But it's fun to play... also has some frustrating elements, but it's still fun to play. It's released by the same compagny that makes Warhammer. The idea is that the factions of warhammer, love to watch "Blood Bowl" in their free time, and that certain warriors feel attracted by the money to play in these deadly sports. There have been some computer adaptations too, which are all turned base. And on Fumbbl.com you can play the game for free in a 2D setting.
You can simulate leagues if you have enough players in your community. Where the players in your team get better because they earn experience and train/unlock to get new skills. However, your players can also get worst because of injuries or just die. Sometimes they die and get resurrected as a zombie to play in an undead team. Sometimes they get an infectious disease and go play for the God of pestilence [i](Grandfather Nurgle)[/i]. It's all pretty fluffed up with lore and all... but in the abstract, it's still a strategic game that is played on a board with squares [i](just like chess)[/i] and certain actions are decided by the stats that a piece has in connection to a dice throw.
Tournaments has people from late in their 50s till all the way too 12 year olds. As long as you can play a game in 2 hours, you are welcome to sit down and chuck some dice. That's pretty much the only restriction, if you subscribe you play the full tournament and you have to be well versed enough to finish in 2 hours. Normally, good players play a game in 1 hour or 1 hour and 30 minutes, depending on how much dice throws are involved. Certain minitatures just need more dice throws and are a bit more complicated then others. The objective of players, however, is to minimise the luck you need to win, so the less throws you need the less can go wrong.
@Vivaci Not sure what kind of games your son likes. But this is a bit of a weird one, unless you are searching for a 1 on 1 game. Because it's 1 on 1, you can't have 3 or 4 players or annything. But if you like a thinking game that is 1 vs 1, this is a pretty good one. When I was younger, I just played a lot of boardgames. I still like them, I just like to sit around a table with a couple of people and try to figure things out.
If your son likes to miniatures... then he's going to have some fun. Because the miniatures are all unpainted. You have to do everything yourself. Not everyone likes that... like me... I don't like it. I just bring it to a friend and he does it all for me and I pay him.
People that are good at painting and creating... well, they are going to have more fun then I have. I just play the game.
