People Studies 3

Here is an inside view of how the artist assembled the subjects in his scenes by first creating individual figures, and then positioning them into groups on the surface to be painted.  This is one of the processes Vincent employed to create fantasized scenes out of actual images procured from photographs and real life studies.  The technique is largely responsible for creating a mildly surreal effect of 'individuals contrasted within their group'. The natural and familiar takes on a slightly unnatural and disconnected floating sensation.

Here we see the original scene but the younger boy was called away. The artist also uses a slightly different positioning and color scheme in this preliminary study.

In this version only the original boy with the boat remains and three completely new playmates appear.

Remember the dog?  He's back in the same exact pose but with two completely new children.  This is just one way in which the artist assembled the characters in his scenes and directed the narratives in his stories.  Fido was originally inspecting the boat, but now some creature hidden within the hands is what holds his attention.
 

Here we have the preliminary outlines of three children at the beach ......

...... and now there is a fourth child, and a lot more detail.  When Vincent was satisfied with a particular arrangement, he then transferred it to illustration board or a panel that had been prepped for painting.  By first assembling the composition on tracing paper, he could take his time savoring the emerging narrative of his subjects.  Vincent relished this type of imaginative social engagement while working in solitude. Unlike reality which is dominated by real time interactions and the expectations of others, he could otherwise immerse himself in imagination, free to re-present reality through his art in ways most pleasing to himself and his buyers.

Click to enlarge this composition on tracing paper, and become one of the children in this joyful playground scene.  This was emotional therapy for the artist as he created many paintings derived from layouts such as these.  His art helped him cope with a lifelong relationship to existential depression and personal anxiety.

Courtesy of The Mancent Collection

Courtesy of The Mancent Collection

Courtesy of The Mancent Collection

Courtesy of The Mancent Collection

Courtesy of The Mancent Collection