A renowned art historian will give residents the opportunity to learn more about one of the world's most famous painters -- Vincent Van Gogh.

Michel Dupre is a specialist in French architecture and a professor of art history at the Sorbonne.

Dr. Dupre, who has lectured extensively and is an artist himself, will give two lectures on "Failures and Successes of Van Gogh'' -- one for adults on January 31 and one for all students on February 1.

The lecture is a joint venture put together by La Maison Francaise des Bermudes and Masterworks Foundation and sponsored by the Humann Foundation.

La Maison Francaise director and founder Riquette Bonne Smith said the separate lecture for students was geared toward educating youth about the influential artist.

"We feel very good about providing this opportunity for the students,'' said Mrs. Bonne Smith.

"It's a wonderful opportunity they should seize onto to discover the artist and enrich themselves...our children are not exposed early enough to the arts,'' she noted.

This is Dr. Dupre's second visit to the Island. He gave a lecture on 19th Century French painting when he visited Bermuda last January.

Masterworks executive director Tom Butterfield said this year's lecture should prove helpful for gaining a deeper appreciation of Van Gogh's work.

"It's a very unique opportunity to get an in-depth look at an individual who made tremendous contributions to the tradition of Western art,'' he said.

"The title of the lecture has a double meaning, since we tend to think of everything he's done as being a success...where he failed was not in his artwork, but in his delivery,'' Mr. Butterfield noted.

"Van Gogh was not popular until after his death -- he died a poor man, penniless,'' added Mrs. Bonne Smith.

Dr. Dupre will give his lecture in French, which will be translated into English. The student lecture at 3 p.m. on February 1 in North Hall at the Bermuda College is free, and the adult lecture at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute on January 31 between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. is $50.