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The Unfamiliar and Unusual Van Gogh: Before the Sunflowers Bloomed
- Sutithi Gosh
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” — Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh has been one of the most popular and incredible artists/painters of all time. It seems that his phenomenal works were born out of an absolute frenzy, with a riot of colors and untamed brushstrokes. But how did he come to create such masterpieces? What did he paint before the swirling skies of Starry Night in Saint Rémy or the golden glow of Sunflowers?
Did you know that Vincent Van Gogh early works show the struggle of an artist and that he used to draw on both sides of the canvas to save money?
Did you know that he had one of his self-portraits painted on the back of another figurative study, “Head of a Peasant Woman” created between 1884-85? An astonishing X-Ray revealed one of his self-portraits painted on the rear of this peasant head study.
Did you know that early Van Gogh paintings show a softer palette? Though he is known to the world for his vibrant paintings, his early years tell a more intimate story—of the miners, laborers, peasants, potato eaters and the simple things on earth.
Did you know the startling fact about Van Gogh first painting sold?
Let’s get into more intriguing facts about his earlier and lesser-known works that provide not just insight into Van Gogh’s evolution as a master artist, but also into the deeply human core of an artist’s soul tormented by lack of love & recognition.
A Humble Beginning: Van Gogh’s First Painting
Born into a spiritual upper-middle class family in the Netherlands, Van Gogh did not seriously pursue art until his late twenties. His early life was characterized by failure as an art dealer, missionary, teacher, and a lover! But during the days in the Borinage, a coal-mining region in Belgium, Van Gogh started sketching the people around, the miners, and the working-class mass as his subjects.
He used to preach to them and began to grow fond with these people while empathizing with their misery. They became recurring themes in his early drawings and paintings.
Van Gogh's first painting was probably ‘Still Life with Cabbage and Clog’ created in 1881. It is exhibited in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
Vincent Van Gogh's first paintings were not as vibrant as his ground-breaking impressionist works, we get to see today. They are mostly monochromatic, rough sketches filled with the raw energy of the working people. But they were more than figure studies – a window to humility and hardship.
The Hague School Influence in Vincent’s Art Career
Van Gogh lived in the Hague from 1881 to 1883, and studied under one of his relatives and a well-known painter, Anton Mauve. Anton inspired him to explore the world of watercolors and oil painting and introduced him to formal techniques of painting. The influence of Hague School on Vincent’s earlier painting days cannot be underrated. His early works included the realistic portrayals of rural life and subdued colors as was propagated by the Hague school.
Lesser known art of Van Gogh like ‘Sorrow,’ was done during this period, in 1882, which depicted a graphite drawing of a nude woman called Sien, a homeless prostitute, seen in despair. The emotion portrayed was much unlike the exaggerated, decorative art style of the time. He helped Sien to find a shelter and had her posed as a model for many of his later portraits. Paintings like this showed his deep interest in upholding human suffering, not as a figurative study but as a shared truth of humanity.
The Dutch Period: Use of Earthly Tone and Subjects
Van Gogh lived in a small Dutch village called Nuenen for two years till 1885 where he started sketching the commoners, peasants, farmers, and the field workers as his subject of rural life portrayal. He was fascinated by the color of earth and took to more pastel shades, which was predominantly ruled by shades of browns, dark greens, and muted yellows. In Van Gogh’s earliest paintings, rural life often appears weary, drooping, lacking sophistication.
The most important work of this period must be the “The Potato Eaters” in 1885. It depicted a somber interior of a peasant house, where the inmates are gathered around a meal. The most striking part of this painting is the honest portrayal of a group of workers who have earned their meal by honest labour. At that time, critics were not happy with the intense use of dark tones and awkward anatomy, but over the years, it has gained a status of prominence as one of his early masterpieces—a moral painting of honesty and compassion.
Van Gogh Started with Sketching
Van Gogh believed that before completely immersing himself into the world of colors, it was essential to master form, structure, and anatomy. He had left behind more than hundreds of pencils, charcoal, and ink sketches from this formative period, often done on cheap paper.
Early works of Vincent Van Gogh produced one of his deep melancholic paintings of an “Old Man with Head in Hands” (At Eternity’s Gate) in 1882 and sketches of “Worn Out.” They showed his mastery of capturing raw emotion within simple means. He used the techniques of cross-hatching and chiaroscuro to add more depth and elegance to the portrayals, turning simple sketches into powerful narratives of human emotions.
The Transition Begins: Van Gogh Moved to Paris
After Vincent moved to Paris by 1886, lots of things started changing. He was influenced by the works of the Impressionists and Neo-Impressionists. This palette was ready for a makeover with much bolder hues and styles of brushwork. The artistic foundation that was laid in his early years helped him embrace the changes.
After coming to Paris, one of the first things that Vincent Van Gogh did was to visit the Museum of Louvre, Paris, to study the works of the great masters as he was aware of the art sense of the French capital. He also joined many drawing lessons in various artists’ studios there. He got aware of the use of warm and bold colors introduced by his fellow contemporary artists. Once he told his sister Wilhelmina about this -
“What people demand in art nowadays is something very much alive, with strong color and great intensity.” – Vincent Van Gogh
His emotional vision remained unaffected though his technique evolved. The sense of empathy, the emotional unrest, and the pursuit of truth through art – remained intact as it was in his formative years.
Nature as a Guiding Force in Van Gogh’s Paintings
Before the great artist took to painting vivid landscapes, he was deeply immersed in nature and natural themes. The nature painting of this early period like ‘Autumn Landscape with Four Trees,’ en plein air in 1885 was not that vibrant, but rich in texture and mood, hinting on the looming wintry days. He had portrayed the barren trees and overcast skies with the same sincerity and honesty as if guided by his inner turmoil.
Other lesser-known nature paintings like ‘The Green Wheat Fields’ in 1890 or ‘Square Saint-Pierre, Paris,’ in 1887 were meditative and reflected his love for landscape, and his personal quest for spiritual connection. These works showed his explosive emotional landscape and how he tried to touch the world around him.
The Great Wheat Fields was painted from his asylum days in Auvers-sur-Oise, a village north of Paris. The image has his signature style spirals and whirls that we can see in his Starry Night, replicated by a sunny day scene of crops enjoying the warmth of the breeze and the fluff of clouds.
Lesser-known Masterpieces and Hidden Gems Exhibited in Museums
Though The Starry Night or Café Terrace at Night of Vincent Van Gogh have long been considered as his ground-breaking creations, there are several less-known artworks and paintings & sketches from his earlier periods as an artist that too demand attention. These works are showcased by some museums like the Kröller-Müller Museum in Holland. These museums have a substantial collection of Van Gogh early sketches, including figurative studies, and paintings from the Dutch period.
Art-lovers and art critics who seek the emotional and artistic roots of Van Gogh, these lesser-known works can be a great help – being more than mere studies but revelations. They show how an artist’s soul gets touched by several natural and emotional impulses. It is evident that Van Gogh, the great genius, suffering from years of trial and heartbreak had produced such master strokes and works of brilliance!
Vincent Van Gogh could see only one of his paintings sold in his lifetime and that was "The Red Vineyard" in 1888. It was purchased by a Belgian painter Anna Boch, for 400 francs. All other paintings were sold at high prices in museums and auctions worldwide after his death by suicide!
Before the Sunflowers Bloomed to Brilliance
The earlier works and the lesser-known pieces of Vincent van Gogh might not have the energy and vibrancy of his master paintings, but they offer something just as valuable as ever – they let us into the soul of an artist who was struggling to find peace, love, and a spiritual harbor. These works were not born out of fame, but out of necessity—small things brought together, one line, one sketch, one life at a time.
Nevertheless, the legend lives on. If greatness is measured in pieces, then these earlier works can be treated as the building blocks for an enduring legacy like Vincent Van Gogh.
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