 Van Gogh 's early works were made with dull , gray colors . In Paris , he met leading French artists Edgar Degas , Georges Seurat and others who provided illuminating influences on the use of color and technique . His work , previously somber and dark , now " blazed with color . " Indeed , Van Gogh 's use of color became so dramatic that he was sometimes called an Expressionist . But it was southern France that provided an opportunity for him to express his " surging emotions . " Enlightened by the effects of its sun @-@ drenched countryside , Van Gogh reported that above all , his work " promises color " . This is where he began development of his masterpieces . 
