October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween!

For your Halloween enjoyment, here's Vincent Van Gogh's Head of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette. Love his sense of humor! Skeletons can't really smoke...or can they?! Hmm...maybe they can on Halloween. I bet skeletons smoke to keep warm while roaming the streets on Halloween with zombies, werewolves, and vampires!

"Head of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette" by Vincent Van Gogh
Don't take this guy to a barbeque!

Cigarettes were fashionable in Van Gogh's day. I don't know if the artist smoked cigarettes but there are many paintings of him smoking a pipe. Smoking, however, made no difference in the longevity of his life, that's for sure. This particular painting, done in 1886, is eerily similar to the images in modern day anti-smoking ads. If Van Gogh had been born decades later, he could have had a career as an advertising illustrator. Or perhaps illustrating scary children's books!

Halloween is a fun holiday. I love seeing the children in their costumes at my door and passing out candy...Milky Way, Snickers, and Three Musketeers candy bars. Of course, I put aside a few for me because it is very important to taste the candy to make sure it's fresh...one piece (or so!) from each bag...LOL!

Happy Halloween to All! Have a frightfully fun time!

Beware the Skeleton Graveyard!
(from my sister Rose's Halloween decorations)
©2012 JerseyLil’s 2 Cents.
Posted by at Wednesday, October 31, 2012
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26 comments:

  1. nothingprofoundOctober 31, 2012 at 6:08 PM

    Madilyn, Is that really a Van Gogh painting? I've never seen it, and would never have even dreamed it existed. It seems so unlike him. In any case, Happy Halloween. Sounds like you enjoy it as much as the kids.

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    1. JerseyLilNovember 1, 2012 at 1:38 AM

      Absolutely a Van Gogh, Marty, and it is a very different type of Van Gogh painting. I think this piece really shows a humorous side of Vincent. I subscribe to posts from the authors of the book, “Van Gogh, The Life.” When they posted this Van Gogh painting on their site this morning, I thought it was great and quickly wrote a Halloween blog post to go with it. I really do enjoy Halloween, thanks! Happy Halloween to you too!

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  2. Helena FortissimaOctober 31, 2012 at 6:58 PM

    I've never seen this painting...how apropo! I love your sister's graveyard decorations...I just got back from walking my dogs and watching the little trick or treaters having a blast in their costumes. It's been a perfect Halloween night.

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    1. JerseyLilNovember 1, 2012 at 1:40 AM

      Happy Halloween Kris and thanks! It’s a Van Gogh I had not seen before either and I really like it. Yes, very apropos for Halloween! My sister has a lot of fun with Halloween! That skeleton graveyard is only one of the many decorations she puts up around her house for the kids.

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  3. AnonymousNovember 1, 2012 at 1:21 AM

    Hi Madilyn. The skeleton graveyard is nicely done. Pass on my compliment to the one who decorated it. :)

    -Dhaston.
    http://dhaston.blogspot.com

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    1. JerseyLilNovember 1, 2012 at 1:46 AM

      Hi Dhaston and thank you! My sister Rose did the skeleton graveyard, she’s very creative, and I will pass along your compliment to her!

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    2. Rose GoldNovember 1, 2012 at 11:53 AM

      Thanks!

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    3. JerseyLilNovember 1, 2012 at 12:02 PM

      Everybody loves your creative skeleton graveyard, Rose!!! :)

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  4. NimsyNovember 1, 2012 at 4:39 PM

    Love this post :) The graveyard is such a great idea and I may copy it next year :)

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    1. JerseyLilNovember 2, 2012 at 1:31 AM

      Thanks Michelle! :) My sister’s skeleton graveyard is a great idea, I love it too. She has a lot of creative Halloween ideas!

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  5. Sci-Fi GeneNovember 2, 2012 at 4:38 AM

    I'm sure I have seen this painting used in an anti-smoking campaign somewhere. Presumably Van Gogh wouldn't have had any idea that it was harmful back then? Love the graveyard photo too.

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    1. JerseyLilNovember 6, 2012 at 12:43 AM

      Thanks Sci-Fi Gene! That Van Gogh painting or a variation of it may have been used in ant-smoking campaigns, I bet you’re right. In Van Gogh's day, smoking was fashionable so no one knew the risks. Well, we know smoking sure didn’t kill Vincent! My sister did the graveyard decoration, she’s very creative.

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  6. ropcornNovember 6, 2012 at 10:01 AM

    Happy Halloween!! (Though, a bit late...) Love your decorations too. Halloween is a fun tradition indeed, although it is actually only in recent years we have begun to celebrate it here in Sweden. And of course, my fave part of Halloween is also the candy. ;p

    Great painting as well, which I had never seen before. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. JerseyLilNovember 9, 2012 at 12:57 AM

      Thanks Alexandra! I didn’t know Halloween was celebrated in Sweden, that’s great. It is a fun tradition! My very creative sister did the Halloween decorations. I love the candy part too. One for the kids, one for me...LOL! :) Glad you liked the Van Gogh painting. I think it shows he had a sense of humor!

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  7. Neil KillionNovember 6, 2012 at 6:25 PM

    Hi,
    Great post and you'd never guess it was a Van Gogh! I was down at Bondi Beach last week and I overheard a couple of kids say to their mothers :- "When can I dress up Mom? It's Halloween." Looks like it's infiltrating Oz.
    Cheers,
    Neil

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    1. JerseyLilNovember 9, 2012 at 1:06 AM

      Hi Neil and thanks! I would have never guessed that painting was a Van Gogh either. I subscribe to posts from the authors of a recent Van Gogh biography, and when I saw this painting posted on their site, I knew it was perfect for my Halloween blog post. So Halloween is infiltrating down under...I like it! :) Cheers to you too!

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  8. Introverted ArtNovember 11, 2012 at 8:13 PM

    I had never never seen this painting by Vincent before...

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    1. JerseyLilNovember 13, 2012 at 12:58 PM

      Me either Ana. So different from most of his artwork, I think it shows he had a sense of humor...well, at least that’s my take on it. I saw it on a website I subscribe to for the book, “Van Gogh: The Life.” They have many Van Gogh’s I’ve never seen before. Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  9. Ismail NNovember 19, 2012 at 11:13 PM

    Not the usual Van Gogh 'moving' paintings. Wouldn't have guessed that's his - such a sense of humour! Smoking kills, eventually.

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    1. JerseyLilNovember 24, 2012 at 3:28 AM

      You are right, it's not the usual Van Gogh but I think it shows he had a sense of humor. Yep, smoking kills alright! Thanks for stopping by my blog! :)

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  10. Jaime PolitanoOctober 31, 2014 at 5:22 PM

    Hey Madi, loved your Halloween blog, the Van Gogh painting and your Halloween greetings ... very kool! Maybe I should go sample some of my candy .... just one of course. Have a great fright night!

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    1. JerseyLilOctober 31, 2014 at 8:53 PM

      Hi Jaime and thanks, so glad you stopped by. I have been sampling chocolate bars all night LOL! Happy Halloween! :)

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  11. umashankarNovember 1, 2014 at 11:52 PM

    That has got of be the mother of all smoking awareness advertisements! Indeed, 'Cancer cures Smoking'! Trust Van Gogh to come up with something like that. A perfect Halloween painting.

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    1. JerseyLilNovember 2, 2014 at 12:52 AM

      Uma, you’re right, Van Gogh’s skeleton with a cigarette painting would be the mother of all smoking awareness advertisements! It certainly is the perfect Halloween painting. :)

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  12. Mis AnthropyDecember 4, 2014 at 9:24 PM

    It's been too long since I was here. You always make me smile. I can see you hiding some treats for yourself..the best part of halloween!

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    1. JerseyLilDecember 6, 2014 at 3:14 AM

      Hi Quiet and yes, I do hide some treats for myself LOL! Please leave your link so I can visit your blog too, thanks!

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