Art Cooking: Vincent Van Gogh | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios

Journey through the life and eating habits of artist Vincent Van Gogh in four courses: potatoes, bread, absinthe, and a decent meal. For a more thorough exploration of his work: • Better Know: The Starr... .
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Thanks to our Grandmaster of the Arts Indianapolis Homes Realty, and all of our patrons, especially Lawrence Abrahamson, Patrick Hanna, M12 Studio, Barbara Nohinek, Robert Rupp, and Constance Urist.
Recipes:
Stewed Potatoes, reprinted in Food in Motion: The Migration of Foodstuffs and Cookery Techniques
Pain Noir from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads
How to Serve Absinthe Correctly: • Video
Stewed Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce from Van Gogh's Table: At the Auberge Ravoux
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[@SpirusOfH]

"Sour stomach, bad teeth and persistent struggle with depression - we transfer this all to a platter"

[@kermitec]

It's likely that he suffered from lead poisoning, and that is what led to him having such poor health. www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/11/how-important-is-lead-poisoning-to-becoming-a-legendary-artist/281734/

[@ojiverdeconfleco]

I really like how you don't care much if the dish isn't perfect, because the point is to show that artists are human and so, maybe, we can all be artists. Or cooks.

[@theartassignment]

Ha! Great to hear. (And I wish I could say I don't aim for perfection, but, uh... I do. I'm just not a good enough cook to pull it off!)

[@ojiverdeconfleco]

The Art Assignment Haha, I know what you mean. But please be proud of what you do here because it is so precious!

[@Allovimo]

+

[@cjchezem5553]

I'm so excited, I'm making pain noir for a class project! Here is the written recipe for those who want it: 1/4 cup cornmeal 1/2 cup boiling water 1/3 cold water 1 package dry yeast 1 oz unsweetened chocolate 1/2 tablespoon butter 1/2 cup molasses 2 tsps salt 2 tsps caraway seeds 1/3 cup mashed potatoes 2/3 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup rye flour 1/3 cup all purpose flour 1 egg beaten, mixed with 1 tablespoon of water Coarse salt (optional) Tools 1 baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal dough scraper Steps 1. 1/4 cup of cornmeal in 1/2 cup boiling water, stir until smooth 2. Add 1/3 cup cold water to mixture to slightly cool the mixture to lukewarm 3. Add packet of dry yeast to the mixture stir in, set aside 4. In a small sauce pan add 1oz of unsweetened chocolate and add 1/2 tablespoon of butter as well 5. Heat this over low heat and then allow it to cool 6. Pour cornmeal slew to a mixer and then pour in cooled chocolate and give it a stir 7. Pour in then your 1/2 cup of molasses, 2 tsps salt, 2 tsps caraway seeds, and 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes 8. Beat this until smooth 9. Add in 2/3 cup whole wheat flour and then beat for two minutes 9. Cover mixture and set aside and let ferment for 1 hour 10. After the hour, pour in a 1/2 cup of rye flour, stir in until shaggy ball forms 11. Turn over onto a very well-floured work surface and turn the bread dough over and over ( dough will be very sticky) with a bench scraper, adding more flour as needed, for 8 minutes 12. Sticky dough is then added to a well-greased bowl and covered to let rest and rise for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until doubled in size 13. Once time is up, punch down the dough, let rest for another 15 minutes 14. Then on a well-floured surface roll and shape the dough into a round shaped loaf 15. Set this aside for another 45 minute rise (maybe an hour) or until doubled in size again 16. Brush the top with beaten egg mixture, and sprinkle coarse salt over the top 17. This goes into the over for 10 minutes at 375, then for 35 minutes at 350 (or maybe longer if the loaf is still flat, keep an eye on it) 18. You know the loaf is done, when you can tap on the bottom and the loaf sounds hollow (please add corrections, if I mistyped anything)

[@TheBubblypumpkin]

Thank you for this, on the days when I'm feeling down I can remind myself, "Well at least I can cook, Van Gogh couldn't do that I, but I can" it is the little things that matter.

[@scottoconnor]

I've watched a lot of documentaries on Vincent and am always wanting to learn something new about him. I really enjoyed this since it covered something about Vincent that I didn't know much about. Great work as usual :)

[@theartassignment]

That is always the goal! With an artist like Vincent there is so much regurgitation of information. Glad I could offer something new, and thanks for watching.

[@scottoconnor]

Yea, I think I've watched just about everything I could find on Vincent. I own several books about him and always enjoy looking at the pictures and reading about his life. I'm a starving artist myself and make most of my own meals on a tight budget but I've never thought much about what Vincent ate. Very creative on your part to make a video that even the most die hard Vincent fans might learn something from :) As one of the biggest influences on my life and art, I'm always hungry for more information about him.

[@artistvai3790]

Ahhhhh fresh bread! Sustaining starving and forgetful artists since the beginning of time!

[@HenkJanBakker]

Absinthe actually can be hallucinogenic. Not in normal use but when consumed in large quantities, like an alcoholic, endangering your liver amounts, it does bring forth hallucinations. It is basically the thujone (from the wormwood) that pushes you over the edge.

[@emsmorningglory]

This series continues to be one of my favorite things to watch on KZbin :)

[@Laurenlucky12]

I absolutely love these videos. Not only do they give insight to the every day side of an artist's life (as what one eats and how one eats it tells a lot about that person) but it also showcases cooking and the complexities that stem from it. Social class, the availability of resources, location, politics, and the time period with which the artist lived all culminate into their diets and better help us reflect on what factors play into our own.

[@theartassignment]

Really good point. When art gets stored away in museums and as time passes, further and further away from its origin and context, so much of that apparent complexity is lost. Glad we could do something small to add that complexity back in. Thanks for watching and commenting thoughtfully!

[@MissMoneyPenny80]

I must say, the way you pronounce the Dutch references: very good! Impressive really! As a Dutch native I was really pleasently surprised! Very nice video!

[@dionnedlc2]

I love this series and I hope these videos never leave youtube, because I come back to them often.

[@63artemisia63]

Art Cooking absolutely ROCKS! 💕❤️💕 everything about it. I’m off to see what you’re “rustling up” in honor of Dali. Thanks a million! 🎈🤸‍♂️🎈

[@myopinionsarefacts]

It's kinda funny that now you have to pay more money for brown bread

[@sethdouglas4982]

there is a sort of relaxation to be found in watching people peel potatoes

[@meisawesome559]

Each time I watch a video from this channel, I am blown away at just how engaging, informative, and beautful it is. These videos manage to break down complex art and artists into understandable pieces for people to understand, even with no artistic experience. These videos, in my opinion, are works of art themselves. Please keep it up, Art Assignment. I love every moment of it.

[@theartassignment]

Aw, shucks. Thanks, Brendan! Comments like yours keep us going. Thanks for watching and participating in the conversation.

[@davidrachlin3557]

Never stop making these marvelous videos. What a wonderful treat they are. When I moved from Massachusetts to New Mexico, I was merciless with my books. Sadly, I gave up the cookbook you referenced in the video. Oh, well.

[@dj586858]

I don't know much about art or cooking but watching this series with Sarah's humor, knowledge & the effortless way she beautifully pronounces words in other languages makes me want to know more. Well, maybe not about cooking. Thank you for this interesting series!

[@kreuzschwester]

I absolutely love this series! This was my favorite so far! I worked as an art educator at a museum and my first exhibition was a big van gogh show. To this day his work has a very special place in my heart.

[@wondergal2369]

I really like this series of art cooking. It always makes me happy and i eat along with yall. Admitidly its usually ramen or chicken nuggets. P.S. do Magritte please

[@warmgreytenpercent]

Right?? Lol just ate PB Captain Crunch while watching this

[@TheJayCast]

These Art Cooking videos are not only educational, but very calming. Thank you for creating such well-crafted and thoughtful content.

[@nerdfightercommenter6969]

This series is a dream come true for me. I love learning about historical figures but I'm particularly interested in their daily life not just the dramatic instances. thank you

[@toni-xf1um]

I tried cooking the chicken with cream mustard sauce tonight with my family. It was really good and made for a good story! I’m so glad these videos exist! Lots of good food.

[@greendart_]

Vincent Van Gogh is one of my favourite artists! Thanks for this!

[@b3blueblue]

I love the idea of blending art with the food prepared by the artists themselves or prepared during their time. This gives us a different insight on the lives, art and the art period they lived in! Thank you for this series! ❤️

[@corndawg15]

When my mom and I stayed in Paris she always kept a a loaf of rye bread and a butter in our flat. It was a wonderful way to start the day by tearing off a crust and going about your day.

[@SarahKat003]

I am so thankful that you have finally decided to make videos! The whole time I've been watching the Green bros, I knew his same-as-me named wife was a fellow art historian, and I am loving this lens of Art history by looking at what they were eating. I've loved art history, and personal history, and food history for a while- its awesome to have something to watch that combines them all

[@ZannaRainbowStarr]

Absolutely lovely, I look forward to every new episode of The Art Assignment, but art cooking has such a special place in my heart -- as does Van Gogh! I nearly shouted with excitement when I saw this video in my subscriptions feed. Thank you for bringing these recipes to life, I can't wait to try them! x

[@lorenabpv]

the last time i was here, i said the starry night video inspired me to go see it while in new york. so I did, last week, and it was a wonderful experience. not to mention the other exhibits at moma (thanks for the recommendations, Sarah) and how much other museum visits have been made richer by this channel :)

[@theartassignment]

So great to hear! I actually peeked in on The Starry Night on Tuesday. I had forgotten that it is covered in glass, which I understand from a conservation perspective, but when most of the paintings that surround are not, I think it makes me notice that decision more. With such a textural painting like that one, it pains me not to be able to see it without the glass! Of course I still enjoyed it, and again appreciated how impossible it is to accurately capture the color of a work through digital image. There I go with more complaints ;).

[@isabellasupnet]

This might be my favorite series on The Art Assignment, and I love that it has expanded in a way to include showing artist's lives through the food and not necessarily just their thoughts on food. Excited to see more! :)

[@brennawilcken4531]

Please please keep making these because I love food and I love art and I love learning! These are so captivating! I'd love to see an Andy Warhol episode.

[@N3rdfightermom]

I really, really love the art cooking videos. I never feel a connection to art in museums but I cook and bake all the time and love to do so. I never thought of it as art before. Thank you. Also, I love when things don't turn out quite right as sometimes that is when art really comes into it as in "how can I make this work".

[@Sklang32]

As an artist and a Chef...I find this fascinating! Keep it up!

[@velvetsrose]

I love the potato that goes flying in the beginning that's never mentioned again.

[@patcheez3714]

So excited whenever a new cooking episode comes up! Great to recognise some parts of his life as seen in "Loving Vincent" as well :^)

[@wcvagner]

I love when I see intelligence on the internet. Congrats for this great job.

[@closedaccount5352]

I’m starting a petition to bring back art cooking right now !!!!!!!!!

[@mustardsfire22]

Obligatory plug for Loving Vincent, which is a gorgeous film.

[@stephenmorton6732]

Thank you for such a creative and fresh look at Van Gogh! There are so many different ways to engage with the life and work of an artist and this video demonstrates how we can poke at that thin membrane between art and life.

[@chillbill9255]

GOD!!!! i live for this shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please do more!!!!!!! maybe a paul gauguin or picasso??? i love yall and i live for these vids thanks

[@juliamersky3870]

im currently taking ap art history & this channel provides a fresh perspective to art, only enhancing my admiration for it

[@mikkosaarinen3225]

I have a funny story about the Starry Night episode. I happened to watch it right before leaving for my first ever dance class. Our teacher likes to do short impro sequences with simple cues to help us and for the first lessons impro cue happened to be imagining that we were painting, I obviously instantly knew what I had to do :) So thanks for giving me a soft landing for my first dance class :)

[@jillianwatson9728]

kay I just found these videos and.....im obsessed!!!

[@Karlymoon999]

I always thought Sarah was very serious from vlogbrothers, but I see now she can be lighthearted and funny :) These are fun videos and I'm glad you make them.

[@valeriegmz]

Best one you’ve done yet 👏🏼 Truly enjoyed this one.

[@mattdellovade168]

I really enjoyed learning about the different meals Van Gogh ate in his life and how they incorporated the cooking aspect of the video with the history of his works. Thumbs up.

[@Urimaar]

Can't put into words how much I love this channel. It should have more than 200k subscribers! :(

[@josephlowry4320]

These type of food that Vincent Van Gogh was eating back then is very unique but brilliant and delicious.

[@toripierce6582]

Oh my Sarah. So so well done. I really loved this! I am traveling to France in about a month and plan to visit some of the places that inspired him. I’ll make sure to spend some time out in the country away from the grease!

[@leticiaschevis7380]

This is one of my absolute favorite channels!

[@irish1209]

If only these wonderful videos had existed back when I spent hours in art history lectures...thank you

[@twilightwarrior11]

"[History Talk] By the way the potatoes boiling in salted water. Anyways [continues History Talk]" 😂 I like how smoothly the topic goes from cooking to history! Reminds me of conversations with friends!

[@KimberlyYvonne]

This is one of my favourite series on KZbin! :) THanks for creating another amazing video!

[@puupipo]

I would love to see an Art Cooking collaboration with Binging With Babish. You both take inspiration from art for your video series and care about making the preparation of the food aesthetically appealing.

[@NoahOfTheArc]

I really enjoy these art and food videos.

[@annesways9289]

Born and raised in the Netherlands, I can confirm that our traditional way of making boiled potatoes is still exactly the same.

[@estrellacasias]

Yes! Praise today is an even better day! Art Assignment! ❤💚

[@LaLuna2510]

My favorite artist.

[@SciJoy]

This one seemed more in my cooking skill range. Maybe I can try this one out. Love them all though.

[@LauraDFTBA]

If anyone is interested, the coffee in the Potato Eaters is likely chicory coffee as coffee beans were still something of a luxury, especially for the peasants living far from the coffee houses of the cities. Serving potatoes with vinegar was also period typical. Interestingly in Bernadette Murphy's "Van Gogh's Ear", she found inventories of the local off-licences and a few of the bars/brothels Vincent mentioned in his letters, none of them stocked absinthe. She takes this to suggest that any placement of absinthe in any paintings from Arles was more symbolic than reality.

[@KannikCat]

Your french pronunciation is pretty good! :D What a wonderful episode. I am always surprised how much insight I get and how much closer I feel to the artists after watching your delves into their food. Given how personal and intimate a role food plays in our lives -- both for survival but also socially -- maybe this shouldn't be so much of a surprise... :) Looking forward to the next one!

[@RenegadeTimes]

Vincent was one of my favorites. Nicely done.

[@nicolettebautista681]

This was a series I didn't know I needed. 💖

[@budhachandrayumkhaibam6079]

I love her cheerful voice

[@arieliantunesdoamaral6225]

I love so much how her voice sounds and her accent, I had to say it. I guess my brain receives it as some sort of asmr. The video is awesome, btw.

[@rhondamagee7459]

My favorite of the old artist.

[@colortheskylights]

Thank you for making these. I'm excited to see what you guys cover in the future!

[@sasha9883]

I love this series.

[@lensman67]

You should strike a wooden match and hold the sugar cube in the flame with the pair of tongs provided. When the sugar has turned brown you then put it on the absinthe spoon and pour the water. The "art" of the drink in in the ritual. Great video.

[@rajsingharora26]

This is so Unique & Creative what you have done in this video.

[@dannafernandez3987]

"Cant help myself, I need color contrast" She's the best

[@andrewslifestyle6141]

Just made the Stewed Potatoes recipe my first meal I made all by my self. (I am 13)

[@vathre]

Ahh I just looove the Art Cooking episodes!

[@Pearl127]

Sarah, I love your vaguely snarky comments about period-appropriateness or lack thereof.

[@johnjohnson3709]

As always a great video, thanks so much!

[@maggieg2972]

i’m so exited to watch this!! thanks art assignment, i love you cooking episodes :)

[@marygizzie7003]

Love your work, each video becomes it's own piece of art!

[@oleandergarden]

Arty cooking-- thanks , liked these a lot!

[@yasriel1115]

This is my favorite one yet!

[@kaisun2222]

Just found my favorite channel :) thank you!!!

[@warmweeniesdoxiesweaters2884]

My Grandma (born 1899) would have been appalled at this obviously ill practiced potato peeling. I guess one needs a whole family to feed everyday in order to achieve relatively quick and economical potato peeling. Otherwise, once I stopped cringing, a totally enjoyable vid. Thanks for sharing. Now, go forth and peel..

[@michel_dutch]

You actually pronounced Van Gogh pretty well! Huge props on that!

[@guillaumebouchard7264]

These Art Cooking videos are SOOO enjoyable!! Keep up the good work!:)

[@emily-lj2mq]

the phrase earth apple makes me smile so much

[@margaretguillory]

Always a treat.

[@DDios-ih9de]

The Potato Eaters is one of Van Gogh's paintings i like the best I also love potatoes and im thinking i should bake some now to eat later and a YAM..sweet potato too

[@rachelelizabeth6017]

I just absolutely LOOOVE these videos!!!

[@nooperspism]

I LOVE this series!!!!!!

[@mineola_]

This was very entertaining and enlightening at the same time.

[@graphite2786]

This is by far my favourite KZbin channel of all ! Your content is brilliant and there is always something in every video which makes me lose my shit. In this case it was at 9:06 when you revealed the thickness of the rye loaf 😂😅.! I'm going to drop Patreon to a few KZbin channels i support and funnel it this channels way, it's more deserving :)

[@claudiascott6654]

Great presentation.. love it and I don't ever cook!

[@jenacorn]

Those stewed potatoes sound really good. :D

[@cindyjimenez7337]

I'm in love with this series :D

[@vonnycupcake]

I loved this so much

[@OAmoretNoctis1Izzy]

This is brilliant.

[@maggieedna]

if you want some bread advice, if you kind of twist and pull the bread under itself itll have a better rise. its hard to get a good rise with rye flour because of the gluten content and so on, but a slightly tighter top will help.

[@theartassignment]

Thanks! I really want to try this one again. It was so good. I will follow your advice and also proof it longer.

[@anona_artfuel]

THIS WAS SO FUN!

[@NeonBuzz]

I love these videos so much.

[@Trashplat]

I was just listening to my favourite song "Vincent" by Don McLean, so this fits perfectly :D If you don't know it, LISTEN TO IT! It really is bittersweet.

[@lawrencecalablaster568]

theunsolvedcase it's one of the most beautiful things ever made :)

[@theartassignment]

Yes! It makes an appearance in my Better Know: The Starry Night video for good reason.

[@redjohn2824]

Love the art you're making ❤

[@mollietenpenny4093]

I could really go for a good roast chicken and potatoes right now!😋🍗🥔