My dad's name was Vincent. He was an artist...an incredibly talented, wonderfully gifted, unknown artist. He was also a great man - kind, loving, patient, thoughtful, gentle, wise, and introspective...the greatest man I have ever known. I, as do my entire family, consider his artwork to be comparable to the greats...Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Monet, etc. His artwork, however, will probably never be seen by anyone other than our family. When he passed away, it wasn't money (he didn't have any anyway - starving artist really did ring true) or trinkets of his that we fretted about dividing up - it was his artwork.
I am new to the Doctor Who series, having been sucked in by my teenage daughter who only started watching the series in the winter of 2012. I just purchased Series 5 as one of her early birthday gifts (she turns 16 tomorrow). She had already seen this episode, but I had not, until we watched it this morning. My father passed away two days after her first birthday, so the anniversary of his death is also fast approaching. At his funeral, we played the song "Vincent (Starry Starry Night)" by Don McLean, so the timing of seeing this episode today is a little eerie...but not in a bad way, just a little more than coincidental though. My dad's way of saying hello to me, letting me know he's still around.
In the ending scene, the Doctor takes Van Gogh to view his own artwork on display at a museum in Paris. The Doctor engages the Curator in conversation and asks his opinion of Van Gogh - so that Van Gogh can hear the Curator say how much he was loved, and considered not only the world's greatest artist of all time, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived...well, that's how I feel about my dad. I suddenly burst into tears, crying uncontrollably. Not since my father passed 15 years ago have I cried so hard. All I could think was how wonderful it would have been for my father to have had the same experience - for him to have known his artwork was loved and appreciated by not only his family, but by the world.
This was truly a riveting, magnificent, and touching episode. It will stay with me for quite some time.
I am new to the Doctor Who series, having been sucked in by my teenage daughter who only started watching the series in the winter of 2012. I just purchased Series 5 as one of her early birthday gifts (she turns 16 tomorrow). She had already seen this episode, but I had not, until we watched it this morning. My father passed away two days after her first birthday, so the anniversary of his death is also fast approaching. At his funeral, we played the song "Vincent (Starry Starry Night)" by Don McLean, so the timing of seeing this episode today is a little eerie...but not in a bad way, just a little more than coincidental though. My dad's way of saying hello to me, letting me know he's still around.
In the ending scene, the Doctor takes Van Gogh to view his own artwork on display at a museum in Paris. The Doctor engages the Curator in conversation and asks his opinion of Van Gogh - so that Van Gogh can hear the Curator say how much he was loved, and considered not only the world's greatest artist of all time, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived...well, that's how I feel about my dad. I suddenly burst into tears, crying uncontrollably. Not since my father passed 15 years ago have I cried so hard. All I could think was how wonderful it would have been for my father to have had the same experience - for him to have known his artwork was loved and appreciated by not only his family, but by the world.
This was truly a riveting, magnificent, and touching episode. It will stay with me for quite some time.