BOOKMARK ILLUSTRATED BY VAN GOGH DISCOVERED TUCKED AWAY IN HIS NOVEL AFTER 135 YEARS
We have all doodled from time to time. Whether in one of our school books or even in an actual reading book. And, how interesting it is when you rediscover your drawings after a few years.
If you appreciate some of the best artworks created by Vincent van Gogh, then you will definitely relish this bookmark.
Researchers have recently uncovered a series of early sketches, made more than 135 years ago, by the beloved artist that he slipped inside one of his books.
Three separate drawings are laid out vertically on a single strip of paper, were found in a copy of Histoire d'un Paysan, an illustrated novel about the French Revolution told through the perspective of a peasant.
The drawings of the three pencil sketches depicting a single figure are thought to be a peasant inspired by the characters in the book, dating back to autumn 1881. At that time, Van Gogh was in his late 20s and living in his parents' village of Etten.
In 1883, Van Gogh mailed the book to fellow Dutch artist and friend Anthon van Rappard.
In the book, he inscribed his name and a message. He said, "I do think you'll find the Erckmann-Chatrian beautiful," referring to the book's authors, Emile Erckmann and Alexandre Chatrian.
After Van Gogh mailed the book to his friend, Van Rappard visited him in the Dutch town of Nuenen. Upon their visit together, Van Gogh sketched a portrait of his friend, which is believed to have been the physically largest drawing he had made.
However, after a falling out between the two in May 1885, only half of the portrait still remained. After Van Rappard criticized Van Gogh's lithograph of his painting titled The Potato Eaters, an upset Van Gogh chopped the picture in half. The only remaining piece that was left was the top part.
After Van Rappard died in 1892, the book was then passed on to his wife. It stayed with her family for generations until 2019, when it was sold to the Van Gogh Museum.
The book and recently discovered bookmark is now housed at the Van Gogh Museum as part of the 'Here to Stay' exhibit.