Old Man In Sorrow (At Eternity’s Gate) by Vincent Van Gogh

Van Gogh’s, Sorrowing Old Man (At Eternity’s Gate) is a very representative piece of suffering. Suffering is a main part of theodicy, that questions life harsh realities like “Why do the righteous suffer? Why do the wicked prosper? Why do innocent children experience illness and death?” Van Gogh suffered from depression, although his suffering drove him to be an untouchable artist, whose legacy is still alive today. Van Gogh traced this portrayal in 1882 while researching on the prisoners and war veteran in The Hague of London. However, it was just a drafted outline. Eight years later, 1890, two months before his death, he recalled his idea due to the shortage of new inspirations in the four walls of Saint Remy’s Asylum. The reason of recalling this particular idea could be his worsening mental condition which, allegedly, made him commit suicide by shooting himself in a wheat field.

The Old man is trying to face his last days, and is thinking of life after death, so his struggles in present life will be rewarded in the afterlife. This analysis relates to theodicy, in a way by asking “Why do the innocent suffer?” More specifically this work relates to themes of theodicy including educative, and eschatological. The artwork is representative of educative theodicy, as it justifies suffering experienced by innocent persons. The suffering the man is experiencing in the picture can teach an educative lesson. The analyses done by the two sources listed below proves so, as they look at the artwork in a more detailed and scholarly manner. Van Gogh’s suffering served to better his character, and to enrich his human experience. It was the paintings that got him through his suffering and adversities, and that is how he expressed his suffering. His paintings assumes that he has reached his human capacity furthermore, holding a religious forum as mankind has exercised his suffering, in a good way, to assume a position in the afterlife. The tile of the artwork assumes eschatological theodicy, as “At Eternity’s Gate, assumes a life beyond human experience, a life after death. For what the Old Man has suffered from in the human life he will be rewarded for in the afterlife, assuming he will be in Heaven. The artwork presumes an eschaton which is a vision of “the last thing” that begins at the end, a time when the righteous are resurrected. Van Gogh kept faith that his present misery, would count for a future bliss in heaven. For his afterlife, is still with us today, as he remains a legacy, and his artwork is still appreciated and knowledgeable.

This picture is worth a 1000 words, as the old man is in misery, and is crying for unapparent reasons. The work is expressive for faith religions, specifically those of Christ, and his Saints. The old man seems stressed out and unable to bear any more stress. Although, he is stressed, and suffering he seems to keep his faith, hoping for a better second life, after death. Ninth analyzes the picture saying, “The support by the elbow represents his weakness and inability to cope more with the undesired situations. The strongly closed fist may represent the anger inside him which has aroused after many years of anxiety and strain as those are the essential factors for anger. The flames in the fireplace at backdrop may represent the fiery agony by which the old man is suffering and has become an infinite struggle.” 2

The Fine Art Diner gives further analysis the work, relating it in a more religious manner. They describe elements of fire and the wood (wood in fire, wooden planked floors, and wooden chair) in the picture. The fire supposedly provides “light of illumination” and the “warmth of life”, relating the fire to the Holy Spirit. The wood casually keeps the fire lit. The Fine Art Diner suggests the wood is the sign of Christ, symbolizing the wooden cross Jesus died on to free human kind from our sins .The wood in the fire represents what the man grieves over, the suffering he is going through, what the Holy Spirit has required of him is in the burning fire. The wooden chair, which he sits in, symbolizes the cross, and the throne which he is working towards as his heavenly reward. Just as the Cross represents Christ's Throne, in comparison the poverty of the chair will be turned into a throne in heaven. The wooden planks of the floorboards represent the foundation for hope: without the foundation, this man, or any man, would be able to hope to enter at eternity's gate, The Fine Art Diner Questions, “Why wood? Because of the curse of the tree from which the forbidden fruit was taken; by wood was man condemned so by wood man is redeemed.” 1

1 "At Eternity's Gate: Van Gogh and the Infinite Struggle." The Fine Art Diner. November 9, 2011. Accessed February 20, 2016.

2 Nitin. "Sorrowing Old Man (At Eternity’s Gate) by Vincent Van Gogh." Art Painting Artist. April 18, 2014. Accessed February 21, 2016.