Vincent Van Gogh Converging Cultures

Many artist are inspired by someone or some type of culture and in the video “Converging Cultures”, it shows how certain events in history shapes famous artist and styles. The video mainly focused on how Western art was affected by Eastern culture and art. Famous artist like Van Gogh, Da Vinci and more all show signs of having converging cultures in their work, and especially in the 18th and 19th century when impressionism became popular. The painting I am going to be discussing that has cross convergence is Vincent Van Gogh’s Self-portrait with Bandage Ear. Impressionism was based off of eastern artwork with a western artwork twist to it. Vincent Van Gogh is known for impressionism and Self-portrait with Bandage Ear, was finished January of 1889 and sized in at 60cm x 49cm. This artwork is an oil on canvas painting that is a self-portrait on Vincent Van Gogh after his famous story of decapitating his own ear. What makes this painting so special with Japonisme is the background there are another painting of two Japanese “Geishas” hanging from the wall. It is a direct example how Japanese artwork has made it to the western culture. Van Gogh was known to have other Japonese artwork implemented in his work and his …show more content…
The painting The Sultan Mehmet II by Gentile Bellini shown in the film was painted in 1480 by an Italian painter. The painting is hybrid art because you have a Venetian artist doing portraits for the ruler of the Ottoman Empire, which was Muslim. As mentioned in the film the arch which he sits beneath is a Venetian style addition. Also you can see six crowns which are European style crowns, not typical to the Ottoman Empire, which typical wore a turban. While you see Venetian culture added to the painting you can see a heavy Ottoman presence which the textile which hangs in front of the Sultan showing his true