Vincent in London

Vincent Van Gogh. Something of a magical charm, those three words, judging from the hordes at the latest exhibition of his work in London. It's ended now; I just managed to sneak in on the penultimate day. Thick skin and pointy elbows were needed, and tactics, especially if you're impatient (like me) and believe the worst way to look at a picture is as one of a four-deep crowd (guilty again). A quick scout round, and then I made a beeline for the three or four paintings that stood out for some reason. Here's the first, one of my favourites. Fishing boats at sea has a Japanese flavour that becomes even more apparent in the four ink versions he drew for friends. Face to face with this tableaux, the sea looks wild, the wind strains in the sails. 'The Mediterranean sea is a mackerel colour: in other words, changeable,' wrote Van Gogh, 'You do not always know whether it is green or purple, you do not always know if it is blue, as the next moment the ever-changing sheen has assumed a pink or a gray tint.’