Love is the most powerful and important experience of humanity. Human beings have written libraries-worth of texts about love, so I won’t trudge into a definition of love here, I just want to show you one exquisite expression of love in the form of a painting by Van Gogh.
This lovely painting titled “Almond Blossoms” is in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. It was a gift for his nephew and namesake, Vincent, son of his beloved brother Theo. Vincent had a famously difficult life with many mental health struggles. His brother Theo loved him dearly and provided as much help and support as he could. Vincent loved his brother and his brother’s family in turn. This gift therefore to me represents deep and abiding love.
The beautiful pale blossoms with a hint of color set against an undulating blue sky seem so alive they might start shaking with a slight wind. I love the way he painted the branches with bold strokes of color in a very Japanese-inspired design. There is something about the pattern of the branches and their placement on the canvas that is so perfect. It makes my heart skip a beat every time I look at it.
These days, as I sadly consider the demise of some of the most important art institutions in my life, I am grateful to still be able to see and experience some of the magnificence of the human spirit, even if I have to go abroad to do it.
We must be soldiers for Art! 
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