The Painted Word

A new study shows that when Van Gogh would run out of canvases, he would often switch to paint on other surfaces. Anything from tea towels and tablecloths, to even painting over other works of art he created, were not off limits.

He was often short of money or materials and many of the paintings that were indeed painted this way coincided with letters to his brother Theo asking for more materials.

This coincides with a previous x-ray discovery a few months ago of a new work of art by Van Gogh, that was discovered underneath one that was already hanging in a museum.

The examination of the works that Van Gogh created during his time in the mental asylum in Saint Remy reveal that the artist used a tablecloth or tea towel for “The Large Plane Trees” and “Wheatfields in a Mountainous Landscape.” amonst other works.

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