The Van Gogh House

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

While I have been following the story of The Van Gogh House from the beginning, I finally had the opportunity to drive by the house myself this week.  Located on a main thoroughfare in Mount Dora, FL, it has generated quite a bit of publicity with mentions on the Today show, The Washington Post, the BBC and elsewhere.

Painted in the style of Vincent van Gogh and inspired by his work “Starry Night,” this house has brought a number of artistic and legal issues to light in the city of Mount Dora.  In a city that attempts to promote itself as a haven for artists, the owners of the house received a ton of push back from the local city government resulting in an assortment of lawsuits.  Ultimately, the homeowners won and the house remains as is.

From an art theory perspective, this story was fascinating to watch play out.  Questions about the definition of public art and who can and cannot create public art were asked and the answers to those questions were challenged by both sides throughout the debacle.  Even the post-WWII debate about high-brow and low-brow artwork and the idea of kitsch resurfaced with dozens of supposed art critics coming out of the woodwork.

For me, The Van Gogh House stands as a monument to those kinds of theoretical discussions and debates about art.  To read more about The Van Gogh House and the City of Mount Dora, check out this article from the Orlando Sentinel…

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/lake/os-apology-van-gogh-house-20180718-story.html

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.