Van Gogh Artists Club

René Huyghe, a member of the Académie Française and curator at the Louvre, wrote: "Van Gogh completed a transformation, both passionately and comprehensively, which paved the way from Impressionism to modern art." He added, "The light of Impressionism and the sun of Provence in southern France revealed to Van Gogh the fountainhead of art—the flame burning deep within the human soul and its quest for the absolute. From this emerged Fauvism and Expressionism, spreading across France and all of Europe, giving rise to modern art's overarching pursuit of the absolute. Sometimes, this pursuit veered too heavily into aesthetics and lost its way, forgetting the most vital aspect: the constant imperative for self-transcendence." Quoting Van Gogh, he asked what the purpose was of that "thing called the soul, believed to be immortal and ever-searching, searching, searching." Van Gogh answered: "We need something great, something eternal, in which we can see God."

René Huyghe continued: "Thus, it was Van Gogh who, in his feverish and profound quest, transcended 19th-century Realism and Impressionism, ultimately providing the true impetus that drove modern art into the 20th century."

Born as the eldest son of a pastor and raised in a devout religious atmosphere, Van Gogh initially sought to become a missionary. Though that path ended in failure, it led him to discover his true calling at the age of 27: to become a painter and "create art that touches people's hearts." This new vocation ultimately proved to be his "alternative ministry." He candidly admitted: "What I want and what I aim for is terribly difficult," requiring his utmost intellect and energy, which eventually made him one of the most diligent artists of his generation. From 1881 to 1890—a brief period of just ten years—this self-taught, late-blooming wanderer from the North, relying solely on modest financial support from his younger brother Theo, traveled to Paris, journeyed south through France to Arles and Saint-Rémy, and finally returned to the outskirts of Paris. According to statistics compiled by Dr. Jan Hulsker in The Complete Van Gogh: Paintings, Drawings, Sketches, he produced a total of 2,125 works—including over 800 oil paintings and more than 1,000 works on paper and watercolors—while also leaving behind over 820 surviving letters.

In 1888, Van Gogh arrived in Arles with the vision of establishing an artists' colony in the south of France. He hoped to spark an artistic tradition to honor Arles by founding a workshop: the Studio of the South (Atelier du Midi). In May 1888, he rented four rooms at No. 2 Place Lamartine—the famous "Yellow House"—setting it up as a sanctuary for avant-garde artists, an "Artists' Club" rooted in friendship and creation. He urged Émile Bernard, Paul Gauguin, and other like-minded artists to join him in Arles. In the end, only Gauguin arrived, and their collaboration met a tragic conclusion.

Yet, the vision Van Gogh held so close to his heart has become widespread today, akin to the modern concept of "artists-in-residence" fostering artistic communities everywhere. Dr. TF Chen, through his signature "Neo-Iconography" style, has invited masters across Western art history to fulfill Van Gogh's unmastered dream. Each master arrives as an "artist-in-residence," staying in Van Gogh's iconic "Bedroom in Arles" and creating work. They adorn the bedroom with their own creations, with only one exception: a painting by Van Gogh always hangs to the right of the window, symbolically representing his presence and shared participation in this grand artistic gathering.

Dr. Chen invited a total of 24 great masters to join the "Van Gogh Artists Club," with Picasso and Matisse each invited three times to fully express their rich, profound, and captivating creative geniuses. The "Van Gogh Artists Club" series marks Dr. Chen's recent body of work—created after celebrating his 80th birthday and recovering from colon cancer surgery. Reflecting upon his life's journey, he returns to the origin: Van Gogh, the profound inner source of artistic creation and the universally acknowledged founder of modern and contemporary art today.