Painting by the Glow of the Green Fairy
Seward Johnson
2016
MATERIAL: metal:bronze
DIMENSIONS: overall: 60 in x 36 in x 70 in
EDITION: edition 1
CREDIT: Collection of The Seward Johnson Atelier
© 2016, The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc., photo: Ken Ek
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This figure was created based upon Seward Johnson's interest in fully capturing the scene of the van Gogh cafe and bringing it to life. The van Gogh figure is working on his painting titled Café Terrace at Night in the evening to dawn hours, lit only by the stars and the lantern to his right. The title references "the green fairy" as this was the name used in his era for Absinthe, van Gogh's drink of choice, which as we know now is a varietal of poison. It was important for Seward Johnson to show van Gogh as a struggling artist, needing to crane his neck around the existing structures, going the extra mile to get the exact angle that he wanted for his painting. It also places van Gogh in the midst of art history as he looks around the big Johnson sculpture Turn of the Century, inspired by Renoir.
