Tanguy

Song -  Stary, Stary Night by Don McLean

Vincent Van Gogh painted three portraits of Père Tanguy a valued friend who ran a small paint shop in Paris. Tanguy would occasionally accept artwork for payment of art supplies. This one was painted in 1887 and is hanging at the Musee Rodin in Paris.

"Painting is a faith, 

and it imposes the duty to disregard public opinion."

--Vincent Van Gogh

The Paint Grinder

Song - Honshirable by Miyata Kohachiro

This is a "Portrait of Père Tanguy" by Vincent van Gogh and is hanging at Musée Rodin in Paris.  It was painted in 1887 and is one of three paintings of Julien Tanguy by van Gogh.  Tanguy was a paint grinder, he sold art supplies and was an art dealer.  Personally I think he became an art dealer by default because the artists who came to him for supplies, couldn't pay him so he accepted their artwork as a form of payment.  The Japanese prints in the background of this painting were also sold in Tanguy's shop and they greatly influenced Vincent van Gogh's painting style.

"I would rather die of passion than of boredom" 

- Vincent van Gogh