Houses in Auvers 2 1890

Houses in Auvers 2 was painted by Vincent van Gogh using oil paint on canvas. You can see that he applied the paint in thick, distinct strokes. This way of working gives the painting a special texture and brings out the natural qualities of the oil paint. The thickness and movement of the paint make the houses and landscape feel alive and full of energy. Van Gogh was interested in capturing not just what he saw, but how it felt to be in that place. The way he used the oil paint played a big part in this. Traditionally, oil paints are made through a labor-intensive process, and were costly, but by the late 19th century, oil paints became commercially available and cheap. In his paintings, Van Gogh did not shy away from the material itself and used it in a very expressive way. The painting is a testament to van Gogh’s mastery of materials, and how he engaged them to reflect the world around him. It encourages us to consider art as a product of both skill and the available materials, blurring the lines between fine art and other forms of making.