Vincent Van Gogh 73 - Painting Without Passion Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

When Vincent frankly blurted out
That De Bock's painting lacked passion,
De Bock was surprised. He asked Vincent:
' Which one of the numerous passions
Are you referring to?
'It's rather hard to explain, Vincent replied
But your sentiment seems a trifle vague
In my opinion, it could stand a little more intensity.'

'But see here, old chap, retorted De Bock:
I cannot spew emotion all over the canvas….
I paint what I see and feel.
If I don't feel any bloody passion,
How am I to get it on my brush? One can't
Buy it at the green grocer's by the pound.'
But De Bock was a light hearted man,
He never took anything seriously.

De Bock decided to visit Vincent in his house
He suggested they could paint together.
Vincent was delighted with the idea.
Mainly because De Bock was bringing with him
A beautiful girl as his model from the Artz.
He paid her a handsome amount of one franc fifty
For posing as a model for them. Vincent could never
Dream of hiring a model, especially a beautiful one at that.

Vincent had pinned his Brabant Paintings,
Of diggers, farmers and cutters
On the wall of his rented house.
When De Bock visited Vincent's house,
His eyes fell on the paintings on the wall,
He looked at it with keen interest.
There was something unusual about it.
An intensity that was undefinable!

Vincent knew that he would never be
Able to sell his Brabant Paintings.
He was now living in a city of wealth, glamour
Where style, décor and flamboyance mattered.
Who wanted to hang a picture of a labourer
Struggling and sweating?
The daily wagers had no beauty to offer.
They could show off only their sweat.
Yet, he did not discard it because there was depth in it.
He had spent hours painting them with intense passion.

A Biographical Poem