Some may have a problem with the fact that I often paint from Van Gogh's paintings. Obviously, I am not trying to do exact replicas of his work, but rather, from using his paintings as inspiration, I glean a lot through reflecting upon his techniques. Oh, and I'm not the only one copying from other artists.
Vincent also did it. For example, his painting Noon: Rest from Work was after
Jean-François Millet. Millet's painting was entitled Noonday Rest. Compare Millet and Van Gogh's work below. There both beautiful in their own way. Van Gogh completely copied while retaining his style.
Many of our favourite Van Gogh paintings were studies of Millet's work. Some of the paintings included
First Steps,
Evening: The Watch,
The Sower, and
Peasant Woman Binding Sheaves.
As long as there is nothing new under the sun, artists will continue to glean from other artists' work. As long as they give credit where credit is due, it's all good.
