But Have You Seen His Drawings?

While trying to distract myself from yet another failed painting, I picked up a book on Vincent van Gogh. For the first time, it wasn’t the paintings that grabbed me; it was the drawings.

"Carpenter's Yard and Laundry" (1882) Copyright Kröller-Müller Museum. Comparing the wild and expressive brushstrokes that exemplify the Van Gogh style to his accomplished drawing skills opened my eyes to another realm to explore: his drawings.

I disappeared down a rabbit hole and discovered that the painter famous for expressive, wild brushstrokes was also an astonishingly skilled draftsman.

How did I not know this?

Then I started thinking back through all the Van Gogh museums I’d visited. I could remember countless paintings, but almost no drawings.

The explanation for why Van Gogh drawings are so rarely displayed came in a reply I received from the Kröller-Müller Museum. The amazing Kröller-Müller is home to 88 Van Gogh paintings and more than 180 drawings. Yet on a July 2024 visit, I counted only 56 paintings and zero drawings on display. So, I reached out to ask why.

I understand your question regarding the number of works by Vincent van Gogh on display. The collection as a whole is indeed more extensive. There are several reasons why not everything can be shown: the drawings by Van Gogh, like all works on paper, can unfortunately only be shown rarely due to their sensitivity to light. Therefore, the works presented mainly consist of paintings, always about half the total number and in varying compositions.   -- Kröller-Müller Museum, email reply July 15, 2024.

Only later did I realize the museum had also answered a question I wasn’t yet asking: why do we so rarely see Van Gogh’s drawings?

Vincent’s drawings weren’t merely preparatory sketches for paintings. They were accomplished works of art and a daily ritual through which he developed his style.

"Drawing is becoming more and more of a passion, and it's just like a sailor's passion for the sea."  -- Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo (Letter 200), around January 14, 1882

As I continue to dig deeper into understanding Vincent, my efforts have focused on his life, the historical context, his paintings, and his letters. There is now a fifth branch of this tree to explore: his drawings.

What I find most remarkable is how much of his drawing ability was essentially self-taught.

Yes, he briefly attended a couple of academies -- less than a year combined. He also sought advice and mentorship from artists like Anton Mauve and Camille Pissarro.

But no single teacher or institution seems to have defined him stylistically.

Van Gogh was a sponge.

His vast reading, his exposure to major artists while working at Goupil & Cie, his ability to discuss and sell art, and, above all, his relentless self-study combined to form an extraordinary foundation in drawing.

"Drawing is the most important thing, no matter what they say, and far and away the most difficult as well."  -- Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo (Letter 205), February 18, 1882.

The more I study Vincent van Gogh, the more his drawings feel like the connective tissue of his life and work. They reveal his passion, discipline, and the endless practice behind the paintings that made him famous.

And perhaps that is the real lesson for me. Vincent never seemed confined to a single teacher, method, or path. He absorbed everything he could and kept working.

Lately, I’ve found myself trying to do the same.