Ever felt you were in a loop from which there just seemed no escape? That’s what Vincent van Gogh tries to capture in his painting Prisoners’ Round,and believe me, it is much deeper than it seems. So let’s break it down!
This painting here was inspired by an earlier work by Gustave Doré; but Vincent Van Gogh? He took it to a whole new level!
We see a group of prisoners walking in a tight circle in a dreary prison yard. No destination, no end in sight. It is essentially the same as being stuck in a looping Monday morning. Seriously, though, this is more than just a gloomy prison scene; it is teeming with heavy symbolism.
First of all, take a look at the round movement of the prisoners. Round and round they move, caught in some kind of ‘no end’ cycle. Van Gogh was super interested in depicting what it’s like to be confined, physically and psychologically. These men aren’t only prisoners of the state, but they are also prisoners of their existence. Ever feel like you are walking in circles in your own life? Same.
And look at that wall, so lofty, almost overwhelming. Van Gogh knew a thing or two about feeling shut down; he did this during his stay in a psychiatric hospital. The walls here seem symbolic of his loneliness and isolation, and he wasn’t afraid to tell it.
Now, the cool part is right in the middle of the painting. Check out the guy turning around and directly facing us. He’s breaking the fourth wall! This prisoner can almost be considered a stand-in figure for Van Gogh himself, giving his regards to his confinement and, somehow, relating to us viewers. He is not a part of the crowd; he’s aware. It’s that sort of “Wait a minute, this is my life?” moment we all have sometimes.
What does this amount to? Well, Van Gogh was all about the emotional reality of life, and this painting feels hauntingly like what it means to feel trapped-be it within a physical space or simply in your head; we’ve all been there. Stuck? Don’t worry, even Van Gogh had those moments.
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