Van Gogh in America @DIA - A Don't Miss

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"Starry Night" from Musée d'Orsay Paris

On Friday I viewed the "Van Gogh in America" exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts in a DIA members' preview. As an art lover, artist and one who has visited great collections in America and abroad, I can assure you that this is a most spectacular exhibition. Real paintings by the actual artist, not projections on walls.

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Over seventy works of Van Gogh fill several galleries along with explanatory guides telling the story of the slow, then sudden, recognition of the artist's greatness in America.

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"Van Gogh's Bedroom" from Art Institute of Chicago

Attachment 42283"Wheatfield with Reaper" from Toledo Art Museum

The DIA, incidentally, was the first museum in America to acquire one of his paintings, this self portrait.
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"Self Portrait" from Detroit Institute of Arts

It's nice that there's not much of a crowd. I've been to exhibits where viewers are packed in like sardines.

This was a DIA members’ preview, so numbers were limited and divided into two hours segments. When it opens to the public something similar will be applied. Packed makes viewing difficult and museums are working to prevent that.

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Originally Posted by Henry Whalley

It's nice that there's not much of a crowd. I've been to exhibits where viewers are packed in like sardines.

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Wow! What an opportunity to take in Van Gogh originals. You rarely get a chance to see so many in one spot. I can do without the projection shows myself, Lowell. Nothing beats taking in the real stuff.

Terrific exhibition! We spent a couple hours at the Van Gogh in America exhibition on Friday evening. Love the story being told as the Detroit Museum of Art [[precursor of the Detroit Institute of Arts) was the first public museum in the United States to acquire a Van Gogh work when they got his Self Portrait in 1922. The exhibition sets the stage and takes us through Van Gogh exhibitions of the day and what was going on at the DMA in terms of post-Impressionist acquisitions for their collection. About 70 original Van Gogh works are here to see and enjoy in person!! We also enjoyed their look at Van Gogh in Hollywood, starting with Lust for Life. Looking forward to making a return visit to enjoy the exhibition even more!

I thought it was excellent. One tip, bring a pair of headphones. The DIA has a great audio element to the exhibit where they explain the work and backstory. You can dial in to a number on your phone that corresponds with each painting, but I felt weird standing there with my phone to my ear.

We really really enjoyed the exhibit, couldn’t believe the volume of paintings that was on hand and from so many different museums that own them.Even “The Week” magazine in its most recent issue ,praised the Detroit Van Gogh exhibit as one of the best Van Gogh exhibits ever and a must see. Quite a feather in our cap, so to speak.

CBS Sunday Morning featured the DIA's Van Gogh in America exhibition this morning! If you haven't been to see it, maybe this will nudge you!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSKK9YUdOwI

I had the pleasure of seeing the Van Gogh in America exhibition for a second time. And it was just as good, if not better, seeing it again.

Only on display through January 22!

Kudos to the DIA for all the complementary events associated with the exhibition! Films about Van Gogh at the DFT, virtual talks [[accessible on the DIA's YouTube channel), tours, and more. We attended a dramatic reading of 7 Van Gogh Letters performed by members of Shakespeare in Detroit. Bravo!!

The Van Gogh in America exhibition closes January 22.

More kudos to the DIA for excellent programming! Last week they hosted two panel discussions featuring expert art historians from Europe and Japan.

You can watch the programs, via YouTube:
Van Gogh Around the World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiNHFmm5qmA

Identifying and Diffusing Van Gogh Myths
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NftJeULWlBg

But there is one problem! A Brazilian art collector who owns one of the Van Gogh paintings wants it back to him because the owners third party member transfer the Van Gogh painting without the collector's permission.

^^ That doesn't deter from the exhibition being worth seeing!

"The Detroit Institute of Arts cannot be forced to relinquish control of a multimillion-dollar painting by Vincent van Gogh at the center of a federal lawsuit because the artwork is protected by a federal law granting immunity to foreign artwork on display in the United States, the museum's lawyers said Monday."
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/en...a/69812505007/

We'll see what the judge says...and then watch to see what develops in the appropriate court.

Looks like the notoriety of the supposedly stolen painting has increased visitor counts to the museum in the past week alone. The claimed owner should have registered the painting as a missing work of art in the international registry.

My family absolutely loved this exhibit. Even my 7 year old was interested for a whole 90 minutes thanks to the youth-focused audio guide. I can't remember the last time something held her attention for 9 minutes, let alone 90!

This was the best rotational exhibition I've ever seen at the DIA. I felt a little nostalgic thinking back to my days living in Europe and traveling to the Van Gogh Museum then wandering out into the wheat field where he painted his final work then shot himself. The fact that he only sold a single painting in his lifetime--that his fame is all based on legacy alone is part of my fascination.

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Originally Posted by Gistok

Looks like the notoriety of the supposedly stolen painting has increased visitor counts to the museum in the past week alone. The claimed owner should have registered the painting as a missing work of art in the international registry.

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I think there is something fishy going on here. I understand the judge's restraining order. Nothing should happen to the painting until ownership is settled.

On the one hand, art theft is not uncommon. Art can be worth a lot, is fungible, and easy to move.

On the other, the guy claiming ownership didn't do anything you are supposed to do when buying an expensive piece of art and having it stolen. There are art registries to track whom owns what. There are stolen art registries that do the same thing. The owner, apparently, didn't do any of that. It might be negligence. It might be he was doing something shady with the art.

I get the feeling that he's doing this to increase the notoriety of the painting therefore making it more visible, and in turn more valuable. Attention is value in the art world. The paper and oil stained into it holds very little value. The story behind a painting is what makes it worth millions.

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Originally Posted by JBMcB

I think there is something fishy going on here. I understand the judge's restraining order. Nothing should happen to the painting until ownership is settled.

On the one hand, art theft is not uncommon. Art can be worth a lot, is fungible, and easy to move.

On the other, the guy claiming ownership didn't do anything you are supposed to do when buying an expensive piece of art and having it stolen. There are art registries to track whom owns what. There are stolen art registries that do the same thing. The owner, apparently, didn't do any of that. It might be negligence. It might be he was doing something shady with the art.

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There is a specific Federal law preventing this type of claim from being made against a painting lent for exhibition. Even if the claimant's claim were good, which is doubtful, he can't use the courts to prevent the DIA from returning the painting to the lender. The judge shouldn't have issued the order, and now it has been overturned.

After the Van Gogh Exhibit is over, what to do with the one of the art that is claimed 'Stolen' from a Brazilian Art Collector?

Here is the disputed painting. Its card simply says:
"The Novel Reader" 1888
Oil on Canvas
Private Collection Sao Paolo

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A judge has ruled that the DIA does not have to turn it over / impound it or, seemingly, have any responsibility for it, including divulging whose 'private collection' loaned it.

Inquiring minds can't help but wonder if this is a publicity ploy. Notoriety has been know to boost the value of such works.

Seems to be the current fad worldwide,even better if you add - Suspected of being stolen by the Nazis.

Adding fuel to the fire is the art sub market where those with a lot of cash do not care about the origins and art is a good way to park cash if the markets are unstable,better then gold.

I always found it strange that in the art world you have to die before your works become desirable,until then it is just another picture hanging on the wall that you bought from a local painter.