“Irises” (1889) #VincentVanGogh Oil on canvas, 71x93 cm (Photo: @gettymuseum 1990) ——————————————— #Storytime— . Many years ago, before the #gettymuseum expanded into the monumental #gettycenter, a group of school children were invited to the original #jpaulgettymuseum to commentate on the newly acquired “Irises,” shown in the postcard above. Nominated by my teachers, I was lucky enough to be one of those children representing my school district from Riverside county. . Once at the museum—a jaw-dropping replica of a Pompeian villa, down to the mosaic tile—I was completely and utterly enchanted by Greek gardens, reflecting pools, sky lights, ponds, and so much beautiful artwork. Unsurprisingly, I found myself particularly drawn to the Greco-Roman sculptures and neoclassical paintings. . As a lifetime avid fan of the work and letters of Vincent Van Gogh (my ginger cats are named Vincent and Theo after all), I felt such a thrill not only being so close to the work, but participating in a group discussion that became part of the museum’s film about the painting. I remember noting how the solitary white iris to me mirrored Van Gogh’s self-documented feelings of loneliness among his peers. Like the irises, his letters contained hope and passion for growth blended with a philosophical search for self-understanding and masked by a seemingly obsessive productive mindset. Even at my younger age, the emotionality of his work stayed with me. And it still makes me smile knowing that somewhere in the Getty Archives there exists a clip of wee, little Sarah posing her theories on depression and self-isolation. . Though the villa closed after the opening of the Getty Center (which I’ve had the pleasure of visiting many times), it filled me with such joy seeing the villa re-opened as The Getty Greco-Roman Museum. After rediscovering my love of Greek mythology, I returned there as an adult and took many notes. I still yearn to go back. . Here’s hoping that once both quarantine pandemic are behind us, I can do just that. In the meantime, this token makes me smile. ——————————————— #fantasyillustrator #mentalhealthblogger #greekmythology #vangogh #personalstory https://www.instagram.com/p/B_fzJlAJyOt/?igshid=1md894arnwj25
