ABOUT THE VAN GOGH SERIES: Vincent Van Gogh (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890) was a Dutch post-Impressionist painter whose work had a far-reaching influence on 20th century art as a result of its vivid colors and emotional impact. Suffering from anxiety and increasingly frequent bouts of mental illness throughout his life, he died largely unknown at the age of 37 from a gunshot wound.  He did not begin painting until his late twenties.  In less than a decade, he produced more than 2,000 artworks, consisting of around 900 paintings and 1,100 drawings and sketches. His work includes portraits, self portraits, landscapes such as cypresses and wheat fields and still life subjects including irises and sunflowers.  This course was last taught in 1998, the current course will include new art and biographical facts presented in the publications “Van Gogh: The Life”, by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, published October 18, 2011, “The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters”, by Nienke Bakker, Leo Jansen and Hans Luijten, a catalogue published in conjunction with the exhibition at Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2010 and “Van Gogh & Gauguin: The Studio of the South” by Douglas W. Druick and Peter Kort Zegers a catalogue published in conjunction with the exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, 2001-2002 and any other articles or books published after 1998.

ABOUT THE SERIES FORMAT: The series will present the works of the artists in chronological order and will include information about his work, techniques, influences, style, and life and their significance for the history of Nineteenth Century art.  Further information about characteristic of the period as well as a cast of characters will be included.  This series will include the state of the research on this topic at this time in history.  The current facts as known not how the facts were acquired will be the focus.  Works in local public collections in Southern California will be highlighted.

NOTE: This series is complete unto itself and not having been part of prior series will not cause participants any disadvantages.

ABOUT STEEN ART STUDY: Steen Art Study is an entity for university degreed Ronald E. Steen as an Independent Art Historian and Art Educator, founded in 1983, for the purpose of conducting art history classes and study tours utilizing innovative teaching techniques both in a classroom setting and out.  Out of class programs focus on study trips rather than field trips, locally, nationally and internationally. Areas included are traditional and contemporary art, specifically in Southern California .  It is dedicated to making people art smart rather than making art popular.  Among its activities is the reinvention of the art history lecture format, which is dedicated to the idea that scholarship and teaching need not be lifeless and includes the elimination of the concept of podium lectures per se.  Teaching, lecturing and research for all art educational programs as well as publishing and curating are activities within this capacity.  The Getty Center Research Institute Library, the largest art history library in Southern California and the most up to date nationally, is the main source of research material for traditional art.  Research on contemporary art is done from primary sources such as with living artists, in galleries, private collections and museums.