# 畫作與背景

文森．梵谷
Vincent van Gogh
1853–1890

長草地與蝴蝶
Long Grass with Butterflies
1890
油彩、畫布
英國國家藝廊，1926科陶德基金贊助購藏
NG4169

<!--
# 問答
## Where and when this artwork is done?
"Long Grass with Butterflies" was painted at the end of Van Gogh's stay at the Saint-Paul Asylum between 1889-1890.
He suffered from seizures, and during one such attack in December 1888. He was admitted to a hospital in Arles where he was diagnosed to be suffering from acute mania with generalized delirium.

## What kind of perspective is Vincent van Gogh painted? How does he express the depth of the landscape?？
The scene is depicted from a downward perspective as if we are in the same place looking down at the marvelous garden and butterflies. This cuts the depth and gives the painting a relaxed, intimate feel.
The scene has a narrow depth of field. Meaning the effects of atmospheric and linear perspective do not play a significant role. Van Gogh made up for the lack of depth in the scene with his exaggerated color and brushwork.
However, more details in near side still reveals atmospheric perspective, making distance when looking at end of the artwork.

## How does the stroke of the artwork looks like?
Vicent van Gogh use a technique to make to vibration of colors, which is called broken color. Broken color is a technique that an artist applies colors to a painting in small strokes but does not blend them. In stead of painstakingly render all the details, he wove together all the colors of green, blue, and yellow to convey all of nature’s brilliance.
In early ages, Vincent van Gogh paint artworks with dark and muddy colors. Not until he went to Paris does he adopt lighter and brighter painting style.

## What color does Vincent van Gogh used to present shadow?
He use complementary colors like blue and yellow to show light and shadow of the scene. Complementary pairs means colors from opposite sides of color wheel. Those colors producing black or white when combined, and making a very strong contrast when placed next to each other.

結合上述問答潤飾整理過後整理成畫作簡介。
-->
# 畫作簡介
"Long Grass with Butterflies" was painted towards the end of Van Gogh's **residency** at the Saint-Paul Asylum between 1889 and 1890. During his stay, he **grappled** with seizures, one of which led to his admission to a hospital in Arles in December 1888, where he was diagnosed with acute mania and generalized delirium.

Van Gogh **depicted** the scene from a downward perspective, as though the viewer were positioned above the garden, gazing down at its **splendor** and the fluttering butterflies. This viewpoint imbues the painting with a sense of tranquility and intimacy by compressing its depth.

The artwork **exhibits** a narrow depth of field, with atmospheric and linear **perspective** playing minor roles. Van Gogh compensated for this lack of depth by employing exaggerated color and bold brushwork. Yet, details in the **foreground** still suggest atmospheric perspective, enhancing the sense of distance as one gazes towards the end of the artwork.

Van Gogh employed a technique known as broken color to achieve a **vibrant** interplay of hues. Rather than blending colors, he applied them in small strokes, weaving together shades of green, blue, and yellow to capture the brilliance of nature. His earlier works tended towards dark and muddy tones, but it was during his time in Paris that he embraced a lighter and more **luminous** painting style.

To depict light and shadow, Van Gogh utilized complementary colors such as blue and yellow. Complementary pairs, situated opposite each other on the color wheel, create strong contrast when juxtaposed, producing blacks or whites when combined. This technique **accentuates** the interplay of light and shadow in the scene.

## Vocabulary

- residency (n.) 居住、定居
- the fact of living in a place
- *There is a residency requirement for obtaining citizenship.*

- grapple with (phrasal v.) 奮鬥，面對困難與挑戰
- to try to deal with or understand a difficult problem or subject
- suffered from
- Today, many Americans are still grappling with the issue of race.

- depict (v.) 描繪
- to represent or show something in a picture or story
- *Her paintings depict the lives of ordinary people in the last century.*

- splendour (n.) (英) (= splendor(美)) 壯麗的景象
- great beauty that attracts admiration and attention
- *They bought a decaying 16th-century manor house and restored it to its original splendour.*

- exhibit (v.) 展出、展示
- to show something publicly
- In the summer the academy will exhibit several prints that are rarely seen.

- perspective (n.) (藝術)透視法；藝術以外的領域可表示觀點
- (藝術)perspective in art usually refers to the representation of three-dimensional objects or spaces in two dimensional artworks
- atmospheric perspective 空氣透視法
- *The artist used perspective to create the illusion of depth in the landscape painting, with distant mountains appearing smaller and less detailed than objects in the foreground.*

- foreground (n.) (照片或畫作的)前景
- the people, objects, countryside, etc. in a picture or photograph that seem nearest to you and form its main part
- *In the foreground of the painting is a horse and cart.*

- vibrant (adj.) 熱情洋溢的
- energetic, exciting, and full of enthusiasm
- *The hope is that this area will develop into a vibrant commercial centre.*

- luminous (adj.) 發光的、夜光的
- producing or reflecting bright light, especially in the dark.
- *The library was lit by the luminous glow of laptops.*
- accentuate (v.) 強調
- to emphasize a particular feature of something or to make something more noticeable
- *The new policy only serves to accentuate the inadequacy of help for the homeless.*

參考:
https://www.chimeimuseum.org/special-exhibition/65812c83b6dc6/65eac210b2503/65f9448b41217
https://drawpaintacademy.com/grass-and-butterflies/