Main article: Vincent van Gogh

Double-squares and Squares are terms which point to the uncommon sizes of canvas Vincent van Gogh used exclusively during the final weeks of his life in Auvers, in June and July 1890.^[1] To arrive at this size, Van Gogh simply had to combine the legs of two standard sizes: the 50cm-leg from a size 12 and the 100 cm-leg of a size 40 stretcher. The result was a double-square of 50 x 100 cm, and from this size easily the square could be derived by using two 50 cm-legs.

Other artists prior to Van Gogh and admired by him, like Charles-François Daubigny and Puvis de Chavannes,^[2] had used canvases of similar proportions, and Van Gogh was aware of this. But his choice of this size points into another direction. His double-squares can easily be combined with size 30 canvases to more elaborated décorations, and his squares extend these possibilities.

One dimension of a double-square canvas is twice the size of the other. In other words, the canvas is the shape of two adjoining squares. The overall effect of this is stability, and the compositional challenge is to avoid monotony.

Van Gogh's Double-square canvases

Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna	Kunstmuseum Basel	Cincinnati Museum of Art	Thatched Cottages by a Hill
Wheat Field with Crows. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam	Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam	Daubigny's Garden, Hiroshima

Subsequent uses of the dimensions

Ivon Hitchens worked primarily in double-squares at certain periods in his career.

Resources

Footnotes

1. ^ These terms were coined by Ronald Pickvance, one of the leading experts in Van Gogh-research.
2. ^ Hammacher, A. M. The Ten Creative Years of Vincent van Gogh, Harry N. Abrams, New York, 1968. page 175

References

• Pickvance, Ronald:
• Zemel, Carol:

v • d • e Vincent van Gogh General Biography · Chronology · Medical condition · Posthumous fame · Cultural depictions · List of works · Post-Impressionism · Family Theo van Gogh Friends Anthon van Rappard · Paul Gachet · Paul Gauguin · Émile Bernard · John Peter Russell Groups of works Self-Portraits · Portraits · Flowering Orchards · The Décoration for the Yellow House · The Roulin Family · The Wheat Field · Copies after Millet, and others · Display at Les XX, 1890 · Auvers size 30 canvases · Auvers Double-squares and Squares Paintings The Potato Eaters · Sunflowers · The Night Café · The Yellow House · Cafe Terrace at Night · Starry Night Over the Rhone · The Bedroom · The Red Vineyard · Ivy · The Starry Night · At Eternity's Gate · Irises · Portrait of Dr. Gachet · The Church at Auvers · Wheat Field with Crows · Daubigny's Garden · Thatched Cottages by a Hill Other works Drawings and water-colours · Prints Public collections Van Gogh Museum · Kröller-Müller Museum · Musée d'Orsay Wikimedia  van Gogh at Wiktionary  ·  van Gogh at Wikibooks  ·  van Gogh at Wikiquote  ·  van Gogh at Wikisource  ·  van Gogh at Commons  ·  van Gogh at Wikinews