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Restaurant at Asnières, Paris 1887 |
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Vincent painted often in Asnières
During the summer of 1887, Van Gogh often worked in the open air in Asnières, in Paris, suburb lying within walking distance of his apartment in Montmartre. Once there, he painted parks, cafes, restaurants and the river.
This painting of the restaurant is a composition in a limited range of summer colors. The green of the shutters returns in the plant-containers, and the yellow wall gives way to the yellow of the paving. There is some shade: this is the middle of the day. There is no trace of an inscription or sign, but the door, open and also the plants and the outside table all suggest this may be a restaurant. Restaurant at Asnières Size : 19,5 x 29,0 cm ( 8 x 11,6 inch ) Paris, summer 1887 F 321 |
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Canvas and groundVincent favored the standard, machine-made, finely woven linen (portrait linen). For this painting he used a surface so called 'fond brun violet' (normal in those days), with white, carmine and traces of light-yellow and gives a typical pink tint. See also the upper left corner of the original painting, where you still see that surface. We made the window as Vincent bought it in Paris. High quality materials and 'fond brun violet' surface. And off-course antique spikes on the side ! |
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Composition and drawingPerspective frame
Vincent worked precise and probably the drawing was done with the aid of a perspective frame. On the left you see the frame he used. Inside that open-frame were metal-lines. He looked through that open-window in the direction of his subject. In this case the house of a friend. On his linen-ground he drew these lines also. So he was able to copy his view precise.
Composition
Looking through the perspective frame Vincent has chosen for a center (C) in his composition, just always around the middle of the painting. And he marked it with a highlight and later on with thin (just) black lines on the left of that center. Look at the window style.
Then he searched, to get depth in his painting, for strong vertical lines near that center and less strong vertical lines, to get the right depth in the painting. He used the styles for this purpose. See the photo on the left. To get harmony he looked for horizontal lines. And that he did in horizontal groups of small vertical lines. He used the structure of the walls and the boxes in front of the house for that reason. To get more intention to the center he drew in the foreground lines in the direction of the center. Drawing
Vincent drew in that period with charcoal.
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His colorsOn the left you see all the colors Van Gogh used. On the page about his art techniques we describe them. But for a painting in particular he used only some tubes, never all. Vincent looked for the colors he saw. The right ones for the wall, windows and grind. He did not fantasize. Just looking for the exact right colors! That was one of his secrets. To paint what he saw, no more, no less. For his nice painting Restaurant at Asnières he used Chrome oxide green, Chrome yellow light, Vermillon, Vandyck brown, Lead white. For the grey parts he made "old-masters grey" from white, some Vandyck brown, Vermillon and Cobalt blue. The black lines are made from Prussian blue and some black (Indian Ink?). As medium he used oil. I use acrylic. You will not see the difference and it is more safe for your painting! |
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Let's start to paintVincent marked the center (C) with paint. Here the window style. And after he made the painting in one rush in a rapid application of paint crossing that center. He painted carefully and inside the lines. So children do with their color-plates. And that is his second secret: staying inside the lines! And was that because he loved the Japanese prints so much or because he wanted to be a graphic artist? He made one painting in one day. And often a drawing in the evening. Click here or on the image to enlarge the painting on the left. |
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We finish the paintingThe Restaurant at Asnières in a limited range of summer colors. A real beauty and hand painted as Vincent did in Paris. The reproduction is made on painter's linen, stretched on a wooden window. Size : 19,5 x 29,0 cm ( 8 x 11,6 inch ) Click here or on the image to enlarge the painting on the left. |
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How you will get the painting at home
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VanGoghReproductions.com
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