Van Gogh & Japan, an illuminating film about Vincent van Gogh’s interest in Japanese art and how it influenced and affected his work, will be screened today at the Spazju Kreattiv Cinema in Valletta.

Van Gogh’s Courtesan (after Eisen), 1887, oil on canvas

The film shows how one cannot understand van Gogh without understanding how Japanese art, which arrived in Paris in the middle of the 19th century and had a profound impact on artists like Monet, Degas and, above all, Van Gogh.

Although van Gogh (1853-1890) never visited Japan, it is the country that had the most profound influence on him and his art. Visiting the new galleries of Japanese art in Paris and then creating his own image of Japan – through in-depth research, print collecting and detailed discussions with other artists – van Gogh’s encounter with Japanese artworks gave his work a new and exciting direction. In this little-known story of van Gogh’s art, viewers will see just how important his study of Japan was.

The film is based on an exhibition about the influence of Japanese art on the artist’s work held recently at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. It travels not only to France and the Netherlands but also to Japan to further explore the heritage that affected van Gogh and made him the artist we know of today.

Van Gogh & Japan will be screened at the Spazju Kreattiv Cinema, St James Cavalier, Valletta, today at 7.30pm. For tickets and to view a trailer, visit www.kreattivita.org.