> Don't you think your perception of the painting was perhaps colored by the fact that you knew it was an original Van Gogh?
Not OP, but I doubt it. The originals I've seen have a thick layer of paint on the surface which adds visible texture to the work. Van Gogh paintings are really a 3D experience, which just happen to also look great in 2D.
I agree. I'm not an art buff, but we live near some decent museums, and seeing any original oil painting has such an incredible depth and texture to it that it truly blew my mind, and actually made me appreciate and enjoy art a lot more than before seeing them in person.
Van Gogh was exceptionally good at using the texture and layers too, making them even more special when you see them AFK.
Not OP, but I doubt it. The originals I've seen have a thick layer of paint on the surface which adds visible texture to the work. Van Gogh paintings are really a 3D experience, which just happen to also look great in 2D.