Avec une Poignée de Main: The Final Years of Vincent van Gogh is an exhibition on Vincent van Gogh's most beautiful paintings that were produced — ironically — in the last few years before his suicide.
The name of this exhibition, “Avec une Poignée de Main”, literally meaning “With a Handshake”, is inspired by the phrase Vincent used at the end of his letters to his loyal patron and brother Theo van Gogh. Amidst Vincent’s most troubled years, this façade captures the false sense of control, calmness and security that Vincent longed for and painted on himself as he struggled to grapple with his overwhelming mental attacks — before it finally claimed him in 1890.
The name of this exhibition, “Avec une Poignée de Main”, literally meaning “With a Handshake”, is inspired by the phrase Vincent used at the end of his letters to his loyal patron and brother Theo van Gogh. Amidst Vincent’s most troubled years, this façade captures the false sense of control, calmness and security that Vincent longed for and painted on himself as he struggled to grapple with his overwhelming mental attacks — before it finally claimed him in 1890.
The main illustration for the brand is a giant hand offering a handshake, consisting of many small arms that seem as if attempting to overtake and overwhelm one another. This symbolizes the chaos and disorder beneath the façade of the calm gesture of the hand offer.
