How does this artwork elucidate its Appearances in other media?
Arthur C. Clarke made reference to van Gogh's Bridge at Arles in his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey. In it, the character David Bowman notices the painting (along with Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World) when observing the living room of "an elegant, anonymous hotel suite" after travelling through the Stargate. The painting did not appear in the movie.
Argentine musician Luis Alberto Spinetta referenced the painting in "Cantata de puentes amarillos" (Spanish for "Cantata of yellow bridges"), one of his most celebrated songs. Spinetta came to van Gogh's letters to Theo through his reading of the essay Van Gogh, The Man Suicided by Antonin Artaud. The track is the centerpiece of his 1973 record Artaud, named after the poet, which is generally considered the greatest album in Argentine rock history.The painting is also featured on the 30th season of The Amazing Race, where as part of the detour challenge, teams will find this painting, which in reality is an elaborate sliding puzzle, requiring them to slide elements of the painting in a specific sequence in order to unlock the easel and retrieve their clue inside.
The Langlois Bridge at Arles with Women Washing is one of numerous van Gogh paintings visited by the unnamed dreamer in Akira Kurosawa’s film ‘’Dreams’’. Martin Scorsese appears as van Gogh himself, having recently crossed over the bridge to paint a field of wheat.
Artaud Theo Martin Scorsese Antonin Artaud Akira Kurosawa Andrew Wyeth Arles David Bowman Arthur C. Clarke Luis Alberto Spinetta Spanish 2001: A Space Odyssey Langlois Bridge Christina's World Cantata easel Argentine rock