Product Description
These letters, written between 1887 and 1889, are among the most important and relevant sources of insight into van Gogh's life and art. Of his decision to make the letters public, Emile Bernard said, "after reading them one could not doubt his sincerity, his character, nor his originality; there, pulsating with life, one would find the whole of him." Twenty-three missives, accompanied by reproductions of a number of van Gogh's major paintings and facsimiles from his letters, radiate their author's impulsiveness, intensity, and mysticism. Essential reading for scholars and students of art, the volume will also be treasured by artists and art lovers. Chronology. Select Bibliography. Index. 32 full-page, black-and-white illustrations.
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Customer Reviews (1)

Vincent Up Close & Personal
What an enlightening opportunity to be a fly on the wall reading letters from probably the most verbal of all the famous painters.Imagine, as a bonus, getting "the rest of the story" from the massive number of letters van Gogh wrote to his brother, Theo.This was an amazing labor to gift us who buy this book to learn what van Gogh thought about other painters who also became famous, how he painted, painting processes he engaged in, and sometimes what troubled him and how he spoke about his "episodes" to others in his circle.I felt I had secret access to van Gogh as I read his thoughts about relationships he had with other masters and his feelings about other painters in his time.

As a painter, I loved learning about van Gogh's painting technique, color choices, and thought processes.I learned first hand what van Gogh was thinking when he painted individual paintings I have seen many times, the ideas, the color combinations, the places he loved.

Even though I had read many books about van Gogh and many more that contained information about him, after reading this book, I felt I had an intimate knowledge of him, really knew him, even felt mentored by him.

You don't have to be a lover of art or artist to gain tremendous insight from this book. Anyone curious about people, interested in exploring the mind of a genius, and especially those interested in personality traits and individual psychology would find this book a treasure trove. ... Read more

Product Description
First published by the New York Graphic Society in 1958. The collection has been the source of numerous biographical and fictional works, but none has matched the intensity of the original material. Most of the letters were written to the artists brother, Theo, and it was Theos son, Vincent, who acted as consulting editor for the publication.Amazon.com Review
After more than 1,500 pages of Vincent van Gogh's letters, most of them addressed to his younger brother, Theo, a reader is exhausted by the struggles, arguments, and ultimate suicide of the creator of some of the most coveted paintings on earth, and yet elated by the triumph of art and family devotion over constant sorrow.

However depressing the life of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), his struggle is continually redeemed by lucid, analytical observations on art and artists as disparate as his black-sheep friend Gauguin, Manet, Degas, Japanese prints, and even the American illustrator Howard Pyle. He retains a touching certainty that his early hero, Millet, whose pictures of peasants so moved him, will prove to be the precursor of all that is progressive in art.

This three-volume, boxed set is a replica of the one originally published in 1958 by the New York Graphic Society, a translation from the Dutch of letters painstakingly ordered and preserved by Theo's young widow, Jo, in the early part of the 20th century. It would have benefited from annotations reflecting recent van Gogh scholarship and theory, but nonetheless it remains a remarkable collection of documents, including Jo's well-known memoir and family history. The early drawings are shockingly clunky, without a hint of grace or confidence. This awkwardness never disappears entirely, but evolves into an aura of hard-won authenticity, as if van Gogh were continually grappling with some fundamental, but ineffable, truth.

The symptoms of madness, "an illness much like any other," alienated Vincent from everyone around him. Even his aging parents, he wrote, "feel the same dread of taking me in ... as they would about taking in a big rough dog."

"How much sadness there is in life," he wrote to Theo. But he found the antidote: "The right thing is to work." Work he did, with astonishing single-mindedness. He mercilessly demanded supplies and continual financial aid from his brother, and although we think of their relationship as a perfect union, Vincent wrote with occasional anger, impatience, or even cruelty, once coldly assessing Theo's personality: "The bright side of your character is your reliability in money matters."

There is a tremendous dramatic tension in the third volume of letters, as we see the artist leap ahead in skill and insight, knowing all the while that this is a life that does not go all the way. This collection requires, and rewards, a devoted reader. --Margaret Moorman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

complete letters of vincent van gogh
Wonderful collection, has helped in my research of Van Gogh.A must for any Van Gogh art lover.thank you

Cheap Facsimile of 1st edition
The value of Van Gogh's letters is not disputed.More the pity that the publisher of THIS edition chose to put these three volumes together the same as a mass market paperback, pages just glued in.There are no longer any color illustrations.All the many drawings are reproduced in poor quality, worse than a Xerox machine.Buy a used 1st edition instead.

Infinitely fascinating, infinitely heartbreaking
I first read this set back in the late 1980s while in college, and I've long wanted to own a set for myself. With the recent discovery of a possible actual portrait photograph of him, I happily purchased a set to refresh my knowledge of van Gogh, who has long been my favorite artist. This collection is unique in the art world, starting when he was about 17 -- well before he started on his career as a painter -- and continues on until his death. It offers an infinitely fascinating peek into his motivations and his thought process.

It is also infinitely heartbreaking to read, since, as all personal letters, van Gogh never conceived of having such fame that all his personal thoughts to his beloved brother would be seen and read by people all over the world. Reading such things as Vincent asking Theo for some money so he can buy some new underwear, because his currentset is falling apart, makes me feel like an eavesdropper -- how hard it must have been for him to write it, and how embarassed he would feel to know others can read it so easily. Such inimate things happen over and over again in this collection.

If you are fascinated by the creative process, by van Gogh, or are a student of art history, this collection is for you. It is a testament to Theo's belief in his brother that he saved all these letters, and that he helped fund his brother's passion for painting for ten years. This collection is beautiful, and well worth the price.

Complete Letters of Vincent Van Gogh
These are "THE" books to read by anyone who truly wants to know Vincent. He writes about his life and the people in it in great detail, and writes about his thoughts and desires on almost every imaginable subject. These books are a treasure to own.

The torments of creation
Other Amazon reviewers have related to the three volume complete letters, with introduction and memoir. I will relate only to the letters of Van Gogh themselves , and that portion of them which I have read. They are surely one of the great documents for anyone interested in the connection between literary and artistic creation. They certainly too are a moving and frightening document of the inner life of a tremendously tormented soul and great artist. There is aside from this focus on Vincent the feeling given in the correspondance of what a considerate, helpful, wonderful brother he had . Just to listen to the rantings of a madman genius which often tend to repeat themselves and which however brilliant must often upset and throw one off one's equilibrium, is a great act of kindness. The friendship of the brothers is a great theme of this work. As for Van Gogh how tormented his soul how rich his creation.Those wavy lines those deeply clear eyes seem to express a kind of horror and fear no other artist can match. ... Read more

Product Description
Throughout his career, Vincent van Gogh attempted the paradoxical task of representing night through color and tonality. His procedure followed the trend set by the Impressionists of "translating" visual light effects with various color combinations, yet this goal was grafted onto his desire to interweave the visual and the metaphorical in order to produce fresh and original works of art. These different artistic concerns found themselves powerfully bound together in Van Gogh's nocturnal and twilight paintings and drawings. This illuminating volume, published to accompany the first exhibition to focus on this aspect of Van Gogh's career, presents new insight on Van Gogh's depictions of night landscapes, interior scenes and the effects of both artificial and natural light on their surroundings. Representing all periods of the artist's career, this volume features more than 100 images of superlative quality, including large reproductions of works by Van Gogh, details of iconic paintings and images of works by other artists that were important to the development of Van Gogh's oeuvre. Essays by the exhibition organizers provide historical and personal contexts for better understanding the artist's motives and offer in-depth studies of the technical and stylistic aspects of Van Gogh's work.
Vincent van Gogh was born in 1853 in The Netherlands. His career as an artist lasted only 10 years, but he produced almost 2,000 paintings and works on paper during this brief period, many of them described or sketched in his extensive correspondence with his brother Theo. Van Gogh is most celebrated for his bold use of color and expressive painting technique. He spent his last years in the south of France, where he painted many of his most famous works. He died in Auvers-sur-Oise, just north of Paris, on July 29, 1890. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great pictures!
We couldn't make it to the exhibition so we ordered the book.We love the variety of the paintings & the colors used.Good edition to our collection.

Van Gogh colors
Since I was going to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, I checked its website for exhibits and found the "Colors" information.I ordered the exhibit book, which is a delight and gave me so much insight into the transition of Van Gogh's paintings.The study of the book enriched my visit to the Van Gogh, as the museum did not have all the background explanations of the book.

van gogh's delight
I recommend this book because it is a perfect balance of art & text: there are so many great high quality colour reproductions of Van Gogh's work, with the added bonus of hearing from researchers at the Van Gogh Museum & MOMA. There are also many examples of his sketches and handwriting (in personal letters), and close details of his brushwork - great if you missed the exhibit! I also like that there are quotes from Van Gogh throughout the book because they inspire me to return to the paintings with his words fresh in mind.I enjoyed finding out more about the importance of the nocturnal theme in Van Gogh's overall body of work. I admire his paintings a lot, and it's interesting how much he studied this theme and worked so hard to capture the mystery and delight of the night as he saw it.It seems he found a new appreciation for what the darkness brings. Every time I look at his work I am so impressed and inspired...it's a great book!

Sacred beauty in the night
Having seen the MOMA exhibit myself several times, I couldn't help myself from respectfully putting another point of view out there after reading the two reviews that seem to say that the theme of Van Gogh's night paintings was weak or contrived.I know the reviewers are not questioning the works themselves, but the exhibit on which the book is based, so if you like Van Gogh you are probably looking to see if this specific interpretation from MOMA is worthwhile.It is.I found it very illuminating and fail to see how one couldn't come to the conclusion that the night paintings were core to how Van Gogh saw his world.It seems cynical to put forth that it was just a random collection of "some paintings he did at night".I wish that those of you who were not able to see this wonderful exhibit could have felt the quiet magic that leaped off of these paintings, and the way they were grouped together created a cohesive theme and mood.The Potato Eaters, the Dancehall in Arles, the outdoor scenes, all describe a world that couldn't be seen the same way under the brightness of the sun.The few daytime paintings provided contrast and insight into a greater whole about his life and work, and why/how he was painting the way he did.I almost felt like deleting this review because I can't possibly describe the way I felt when I connected with these night moods, and the person who channeled them.But I couldn't let this book sit here with a 2-star review because with all the various offerings of Van Gogh books out there, it would be a shame to miss out on a wonderful way of looking at him.In lieu of a MOMA visit, then, this book is an excellent choice.

Barely Three Stars
I have to agree with the previous reviewers comments about the Van Gogh exhibit he was unfortunately unable to attend. I just came from the MOMA today, and it was indeed remarkable to have so many of the artist's works in a single show.

That said, I would also concur that the central theme of the show is a bit contrived. It seems to be organized around a few comments Van Gogh made to his brother Theo (the exhibit includes multiple letters the artist wrote to his closest sibling) about effectively capturing the beauty of the night sky through artistic method. Beyond the two Starry Night works, the remaining pieces displayed are less on-point with regard to the general theme. However, so much Van Gogh in one place is truly rewarding. I can't complain about the exhibit.

I am admittedly not trained in art in any way, so I'm left with what I've learned through some undergraduate classes and auto-didactic energies. Having said that, the value of the book for those who have not attended the exhibit may be limited with a couple of exceptions: The MOMA exhibit very effectively displays Van Gogh's progression through the late 1880s from work that lacks distinctive quality to pieces like the Starry Night works that scream his name. Also, the book breaks down Van Gogh's work by having numerous curators, educators, and artists evaluate his life and productivity. The commentary is doubtless not groundbreaking, but I found it interesting for someone who is not steeped in artistic technique or history. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
The 3rd part in an eight-volume catalogue raisonne of Van Gogh''s work from the Van Gogh Museum Collection, this book covers the same period in the artist''s career as the two volumes on his drawings.' ... Read more

Product Description
A compelling new look at a legendary genius, with full-color reproductions of each of van Gogh's self-portraits, never before collected in one volume. The text combines telling excerpts from the artist's own writings and insightful comments from a noted art historian. Includes all the known photos of van Gogh, and a timeline of his life.Amazon.com Review
Between 1885 and 1889, Vincent van Gogh created more than 40 self-portraits, all of which are included in this unique collection. Art historian Bernard Denvir provides brief descriptions and includes excerpts from van Gogh's personal diaries and correspondence. Also included are a detailed family tree, a biographical index, and a chronology of the artist's life. Paintings of van Gogh by Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin, Pissarro, and other contemporaries complement this 144-page volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Magnificent
This is a magnificent, indispensable book. It includes all the self-portraits, photographs of Van Gogh as a child and a young man, portraits of Van Gogh by other artists, Van Gogh's portraits of his family, a chronology, and a few pages of impressions by people who knew Van Gogh.
Paging through the portraits can only be described as a devastating experience. The mad genius, on his way to hospitalization, self-mutilation and suicide, drawn to the self-portrait in the interest of self-knowledge and perhaps self-therapy, shown in all his avatars. Some of the pictures are so beautiful they take your breath away. Others are so frightening you wouldn't want them on your wall. But they are all haunting, all unforgettable.
Amazon says Courage Books, but my two copies say Running Press, Philadelphia. Printed in England. The reproductions are small, but you get the idea, with a vengeance.
My copies were bought at a discount, but the book is worth every penny of the list price. I would have paid $100 for it.
Not to be missed.
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Customer Reviews (15)

never got it!
I was so looking forward to this book. My best friend and I both ordered books from Amazon for a weekend in the country and she ordered hers, a new book with FEDEX delivery and neither of us got what we ordered. We both got refunds and that was it. Kind of puts me off ordering again.

Vincent Van Gogh: The Drawings (Metropolitan Museum of Art Series)

not up to the achievement of a greatdraftsman
To find out how far short this book falls from many of the great drawings of Van Gogh you can go online and find many drawings not found in this book.There are many sites to look at Vincent's work. With zooming and enlarging the drawings you will have a better idea of the work . So many of the ink drawings of Van Gogh have faded. One of his greatest drawingsof trees is in the Art Institute of Chicago.It is illustrated here.The authors miss the central importance of Vincent's work. His use of the reed pen was painterly. He used the reed pen as a brush technique.He drew ,many times when he was out of paints or waiting for canvases from Theo. The catalogue is useful in relating the drawings to his paintings . Often in a nearby page.Catalogues are great as a way of remembering and reviewing an important exhibit.This is an enormously ambitious book from the Metropolitan Museum. It falls short, as I think it would be much better to have a compact disk of the images.It irks me because it doesn't include a lot of my favorites..I have books on Van Gogh's stuff that I used to show my drawing classes.A book of this weightdoesn't full fill the need of something you wish to carry with you.To have a major show of drawings in an era of installation art , I salute the museum's acknowledgement of the importance of these drawings. It is in the drawings that Van Gogh's reputation will continue to grow. His palette was unprecedented in the early 20th century. Since then, his command of color compositiondoesn't hold up to later developments.He and Gauguin led to the color found in Matisse.Who in turn led to the brighter palettes of modern art. I purchased this book via Amazon

master draftsman
a wonderful memory of a once in a lifetime exhibit. 7 years of drawing before he ever picked up a brush....

A rare opportunity
This is the catalogue for a 2005 exhibit at the Met. A valuable addition to the literature on Van Gogh, it encompasses his whole career as a draughtsman, and a brilliant one of course. The images are perfect (you sometimes get the impression that you are holding the actual drawing) and the text very helpful, giving sizes, provenances and many excerpts of Van Gogh's own letters.I remember visiting the exhibition in crammed rooms on a saturday afternoon, therefore I was glad to be able to savour it once again in a quieter atmosphere, thanks to the book.

Drawing at the highestlevel
Lord Kenneth Clark, at the end of his book and television series, Civilization, said he had come to believe that there was such a thing as "genius".After looking through this book, so will you.

With over 350 drawings, mostly reproduced in color, and dozens more color reproductions of paintings, this will no doubt be the definitive work of the artist's drawings.We see many of his early drawings, including those enhanced with chalk, watercolor, etc.We see the drawings and watercolors done in preparation for his paintings and then we see the paintings themselves.

But the high points of the book are the three drawings in pen and ink done after each of the paintings and intended as reproductions of those works.He wanted a means to share these paintings with three different correspondents: John Russell, Emile Bernard and his brother Theo.He obviously couldn't afford the oil and canvas to reproduce each painting three more times.These laborious drawings were executed and mailed to individuals with whom Van Gogh wanted to share his work (and perhaps impress), or, in the case of his brother, to also show his love and appreciation. Slight variations among the three drawings after the same painting show further, "post-oil" development of each subject and give us additional insight into his style and his thinking.The color reproductions of his drawings allow us to see how the ink on each has faded over time and a 100-year old reproduction of a drawing shows us how the original has faded over time.Because virtually all of the drawings done as a mature artist were on 9-1/2 by 11-1/2 sheets, the reproductions in the book are almost actual size.

Fortunately, both Bernard and Theo's widow and heirs believed very strongly in his work, including his drawings, and ignored the advice of critics to throw it all away.They continued to promote the artist's work after his death, eventually leading to his broader recognition over the following decades. If you appreciate great drawing, this is a "must have" book. ... Read more

Product Description
Best quotations of Vincent Van Gogh, the Dutch post-impressionist painter.Little appreciated during his lifetime, his fame grew in the years after his death. Today, he is widely regarded as one of history's greatest painters and an important contributor to the foundations of modern art.Here is one of his many interesting quotes: "The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore." ... Read more

Product Description
This important, groundbreaking publication contains the illustrated letters between two great modern artists–Vincent van Gogh and Émile Bernard. The original letters were previously in private hands and have not been seen for approximately seventy years. Here they are published in association with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and an exhibit at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York. In addition to the letters, the book also includes paintings, photographs, and drawings by both artists, as well as works by artists of the period, such as Paul Gauguin and Jean-François Millet.These letters, written between 1887 and 1889, are among the most important and relevant sources of insight into van Gogh’s life and art. They bridge the time when van Gogh was living and working in Paris, where he painted most of his self-portraits (mainly because he was unable to afford models), to the small town of Arles, in Provence. Here he adopted new types of compositions and developed new ideas about color–all of which he describes in detail in letters to his friend and fellow painter Bernard. Only a year later, in July 1890, van Gogh died, at the age of thirty-seven. The authors have carefully placed each letter in context of relevant events and have written authoritative commentaries on the content of the letters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

He painted with words.
Word by word, page by page and letter after letter the myths are peeled back and the true character and personality of this great master becomes revealed.

Beautiful publication...
..in fact, in my entire library, one of the best. I read it before viewing the exhibition. The facsimiles of the letters are as good as seeing them in person. Art and letter lovers alike will cherish this book!

A new insight into Van Gogh's working method
The 22 letters written by Van Gogh to French painter Emile Bernard, in which he almost exclusively discusses the subject of painting with a fellow artist, are the subject of this beautiful volume which accompanies an exhibition of the letters at the Pierpont Morgan library in NYC. Each of the letters is reproduced through a high-quality facsimile and also translated into English. Many works Van Gogh alludes to in those letters are also reproduced and every letter is carefully annotated which helps the reader understand the many references the artist cites as sources of inspiration to his work.

This is a groundbreaking publication that gives the reader invaluable insights into Van Gogh thoughts and working methods and comes as a perfect complement to the already published correspondence of the artist with his brother and dealer Theo. The letters to Bernard are more spontaneous because they were written by an artist to another artist and the introduction of the book explains this very well.

Highly recommended.

A life examined in a new light
As a writer, I found this book very much of a revelation. Why? Simply put, Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890) was a prolific writer of letters. He wrote hundreds of brilliant letters to fellow artists, friends and his brother, Theo. Much of a persons character, thoughts, likes and dislikes, loves and hates, fears and loneliness can be found in letters. Both the darkness and the light of the soul come through in personal letters as they are often inner directed as much as directed to the receiver.

Many of these letters tell the story of life. They give us a glimpse of the ideas behind his art. They seem to prove that he was very much in his right mind and that he was not suffering from any sort of mental disability as some have thought.

The letters written to the French painter, Emile Bernard (1868-1941), who was twenty-years-old in 1888, are of great significance. In these, the artists share ideas when van Gogh was working in Arles in the South of France.

This is a very fine work. It's interesting reading and seems to bring the characters to life.

Highly recommended.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

A VOLUME TO BE READ, REREAD, AND TREASURED
A friend of many Impressionists, Vincent van Gogh stands alone among artists, beloved, admired and respected by millions.While many of his paintings are familiar to us, this beautiful volume offers insights into his thinking, his cretaive process, and his life.The letters presented herein were written between December 1887 and November 1889 to his younger friend and colleague, Emile Bernard.These epistles are priceless as they focus to a great extent on artistic questions and, at the same time reveal a man blessed with a unique style and plagued by doubts.

Letters in this volume are numbered from 1 to 22.Facsimiles of all are presented.With these we are privy to the artist's apparent disregard for apostrophes and his cavalier use of capital letters.A joy and privilege to see the writing in his own script, complete with drawings and crossed out words.

Following the facsimiles one finds the letters printed in the original French along with transcriptions.Also included are generous full color reproductions of paintings by van Gogh and Bernard, many of which are discussed in the epistles as van Gogh both criticized and praised the younger artist.What comes through very clearly in the correspondence is the depth of friendship the two men shared.

Van Gogh's last letter was written mere months before he took his own life.
Vincent van Gogh Painted with Words is a volume to be read, reread, studied, and treasured.It contributes immeasurably to our understanding of this troubled genius.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke
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Product Description
The letters of Vincent van Gogh lay bare the events of his dramatic life, providing remarkable insight into the creative process, and touching revelations of his personal anguish. They are reproduced in these three volumes with over 200 ink drawings that the artist sketched into them. Most of the letters were sent between 1872 and 1890 to the artist's brother, Theo, and it was Theo's son, Vincent W. van Gogh, who acted as consulting editor for this publication. A memoir by Theo's wife serves as the introduction. ... Read more