'Van Gogh Up Close' at Philadelphia Museum

The exhibition focuses on the painter's tumultuous years, a period of feverish artistic experimentation that began when van Gogh left Antwerp for Paris in 1886 and continued until his death in Auvers in 1890. In 1886, while living in Paris, the artist dramatically altered his manner of painting landscapes and still lifes. By experimenting with depth of field and focus and using shifting perspectives, he produced some of the most radical and original works of his career. The first exhibition devoted to this unexplored aspect of the artist's work, Van Gogh Up Close presents some 45 paintings borrowed from collections around the world. It is organized by the National Gallery of Canada (where it will be shown between May 25 and September 3, 2012) in collaboration with the Philadelphia Museum of Art.