Sacred Art – Jesus In Pietà By Vincent van Gogh – The Only One Known And Copied

20/04/2024

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In the beginning there was the faith and the desire to serve the poor. Then came the disappointment and the search for the true love. And shortly before death, there was the only one known Jesus by Vincent van Gogh – the only one and copied. In his “Pietà” after Delacoix.

It was in the mental hospital for lunatics that van Gogh has created the “Pietà”. After very emotional turmoils with Gogain, misunderstandings and cutting off his own ear, Vincent van Gogh voluntarily admitted himself to the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole lunatic asylum in May 1889. Apparently he had some personal items with him, among wich was a lithograph of a painting by Eugène Delacroix… the Pietà.

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) was born in Holland and lived there until he was 33, then moved to France for four years. These four years were exactly the half of his short creative journey of an artist. He died from shotting himself in the chest with a revolver in 1890, almost a year after his “Pietà”.

The Pietà was and is a popular subject among artist who create sacred art. The Italian word “pietà” means “pity”, “mercy”, “compassion”, and in arts the “Pietà” represents Mary sorrowfully contemplating the dead body of her son which she holds on her lap.

Interesting, that the litograph of Delacoix’ “Pietà” was black and white. No colors. On top of this, there was also the accidental fall of the lithograph onto the palette with paint… So, van Gogh’s painting resulted from an accident. Van Gogh wrote about it in one of his letters:

‘That lithograph of Delacroix, the Pietà, with other sheets had fallen into some oil and paint and got spoiled. I was sad about it – then in the meantime I occupied myself painting it…’

It seems that van Gogh had admired the work of Eugene Delacroix and was impressed with the subtle vibrancy of his palette. Even though van Gogh was never really drawn to religious subjects in his paintings, he was so influenced by the romantic coloring of Delacroix’s painting which van Gogh saw live in Paris that suddenly he wanted to create his own “Pietà”. As a result van Gogh’s “Pietà” was based on an assimilation of his interpretation of colour and memories of Delacroix’s color palette. That’s why the painting officially is known as “Pietà (after Delacroix)”.

During his time in the mental hospital, depressed, he was still able to paint and draw a little. Here are some of van Gogh’s paintings from the same time as his “Pietà”.

Bedroom in Arles (Third Version) – September 1889

A Wheatfield with Cypresses by Vincent van Gogh – September 1889

Vestibule in the Asylum by Vincent van Gogh – September 1889

Valley with Ploughman Seen from Above by Vincent van Gogh – September 1889

The Gardener by Vincent van Gogh – September 1889

Some art critics and art historians say that the Vincent van Gogh’s “Pietà” is not original but simply a copy and an interpretation. However, even if it’s an interpretation – it’s done by a great master on a deep biblical subject. And just perhaps this is the artwork which illustrates van Gogh’s motto for his art: