Product Description
Vincent van Gogh was an artist wholly saturated in the colors and contours of the landscapes in which he lived and painted. More than Manet or Gauguin, nature itself was his muse and teacher: "it is not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to, the feeling for the things themselves, for reality is more important than the feeling for pictures," he once avowed. Between Earth and Heaven is the first book to provide a comprehensive survey of van Gogh's work as a landscape painter, identifying the stylistic transitions that were specific to this aspect of his work. It shows how the earthy tones of his early Dutch phase were gradually replaced by a lighter style following his relocation to Paris, and how, in the south of France, the artist discovered the intense, brilliant colors and vital expression that have made his paintings so fascinating to this day. Essays by renowned art historians and specialists explore this facet of van Gogh's oeuvre, examining both the artist's blockbuster landscape works and lesser-known paintings.
Although he witnessed little success during his lifetime, today Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) is rated as one of the greatest Dutch painters in history. He produced the majority of his work--some 900 paintings and 1,100 drawings--during a brief span of ten years, before he succumbed to mental illness and committed suicide at the age of 37. A seminal figure in the Post-Impressionist movement and an early pioneer of Expressionism, van Gogh is today one of the world's most famous artists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Was Van Gogh a Dutch, French or universal landscape painter?
This book is the catalogue for a wonderful exhibition held at the Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland, from April to September 2009. Centered on Van Gogh's many depictions of the Dutch, Parisian and eventually, Provencial landscapes, it gives the reader an opportunity to studya number of paintings seldom seen outside German, Swiss and Northern European museums (Holland and Denmark especially), with some additions from American and French museums.

The essays are interesting and shed new light on such themes as Van Gogh's roots and inspirations, his evolution towards an emotional, almost expressionistic (ahead of Expressionism obviously) approach of landscape painting, also on the question whether he should be considered a French painter in spirit and style, or rather a "Dutch painter in France", or even "an outsider whose genius transcended all borders". There are also enlightening passages on the reception of Van Gogh's art in Germany, and especially in Nazi Germany (one surprisingly learns of Goering's taste for Van Gogh's paintings, which he prominently displayed in his Carinhall palace, when at the same time Hitler banned them from German museums...).

Now, as opposed to the other reviewer, I was somewhat disappointed with the quality of the reproductions, all of the works figuring in the exhibition being illustrated half-page and the ones not in the exhibition being granted thumbnail-sized images only. Besides, having seen the exhibition in Basel, I found the colors in the book rather far from the originals. One is entitled to expect better quality from Hatje Cantz in this respect with today's technologies. Therefore, only 3 stars for the illustations and 5 for the text, which makes an average of 4 stars...

treasure trove of masterful landscape painting
Vincent van Gogh's genius needs no reiterating. In his output, he was equally adept in the depiction of people, still life and landscape. This catalogue, featuring some of the master's landscape oeuvre, is associated with an exhibition held this year at the Kunstmuseum Basel. I was fortunate to have attended this stellar event in person and it is instructive to compare the "real thing" with the images presented in this excellent catalogue.

No reproduction, however good, can replicate the experience of seeing an original art painting. This is particularly so with a painter such as van Gough who utilised thick impasto brush strokes and strong colors in many of his works. Nevertheless, the publishers Hatje Cantz have made a successful effort giving the reader a reasonable impression of the original.

Van Gogh's total output of paintings was in the vicinity of 900; this exhibition presented 69 of these. Personally, I was pleased to come upon many of these works for the first time. Of course the usual familiar suspects are there, but a significant proportion of the paintings are sourced from smaller galleries and private collections.

The introductory essays are informative. The authors propose that van Gogh created some of his works in cycles, groups and triptychs. There are also a number of interesting contemporaneous photographs of locations that the artist painted.
For those interested in this aspect of van Gogh's output, Hatje Cantz has alsopublished a volume entitled "Fields".

I strongly recommend this beautifully produced catalogue. ... Read more

Product Description
A classic text for art students everywhere, an edited selection of VVG's letters.* That Vincent van Gogh was one of the greatest painters in the history of European art is now generally accepted. That he was a man of high intelligence and tender affections these letters abundantly establish. By their directness and humility they bring us an intimate understanding of genius. To anyone interested in painting or in the mind of a creative artist they are indispensable.* But what makes them of supreme importance is their fascination for people who have, in the ordinary way, no particular interest in the arts. It is the human spirit, not the fame of the artist, that is the secret of their perennial attraction.* This selection by Professor Mark Roskill, who contributes an introduction and notes, also includes the memoir of van Gogh written by his sister-in-law.Amazon.com Review
This thorough collection of van Gogh's letters has beenassembled with an artful eye and sensitivity to the artist's thinking.The result is an atypical take on Vincent van Gogh that avoids puttingtoo much stress on his troubled mental state and too much straining bythe editor to shape a narrative out of van Gogh's epistolary clues.Instead, we see the thoughtful and contemplative side of thiscreative genius, as well as his concern for the impact his art andlife had on those people closest to him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

A Self-Portrait in Post
These letters provide a more intimate look into the person of Vincent van Gogh than any college course you'll ever take. In going through the book, the reader gets a real sense that by the end the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. This collection isn't an oversimplified summary of a life, but rather a look at Vincent as a complicated soul with many layers to his personality, like most of us.

Kindle Font Formatting is Flawed
The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh (Penguin Classics eBook)

I was prepared to purchase the Kindle version of this volume. I downloaded the sample to make sure that the Kindle formatting was edited correctly. It is not. The first paragraph of every section is in a very small font compared with the bulk of the text.

I compared this formatting with the sample for the paperback version. The paperback version font does not change sizes in the paragraphs mentioned.

Van Gogh
This was purchased as a gift. The recipient enjoyed it and thought it was a fascinating read.

Essential Reading for anyone who likes Van Gogh
Essential reading for anyone who likes Van Gogh's paintings and wants to learn more about Van Gogh the man.

Good
shipping is fast. It is a new book but to say the truth, the quality of the book is not perfect, the papers are lightweighted.
With the price, it is a good deal anyway.. Love Vincent ~ ... Read more

Product Description
This book combines many of Van Gogh's notebook sketches near the end of his life with poems Carol Dine has written in praise and in unison with these sketches. The absolute brevity of each piece astonishes the reader and brings to life the vivid tones Van Gogh himself so painfully rendered across his canvases and his sketchbooks. The esteemed art critic & essayist, John Berger has remarked that At least three big films have been made about the life of Vincent van Gogh. This book of sparse poems is, however, the best film so far made about him. The words seem to have been written with the same pen as he used to make the drawings and sketches chosen for the book. Carol Dine's observation of the drawings equals his observation of what he was drawing. Her words are strung on his life-line. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

"Van Gogh in Poems": Art Comes Alive
Carol Dine's sparse, unerring poems pull us into Van Gogh's life and work. Every aspect of the struggle to make art comes alive - from moments of deep personal grief
and doubt to the pure joy of applying color to a canvas. How fortunate for us that Dine can articulate both the difficulty and absolute necessity of the artistic endeavor. Jennifer Barber, Editor of Salamander ... Read more

Product Description
Vincent van Gogh arrived in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in 1889 to be voluntarily treated for psychiatric illness. Poppyfield was one of the first pictures that the artist painted that year of the countryside surrounding the asylum, and it continues the leitmotif of fields which runs throughout his oeuvre. Van Gogh's mind was rooted in the cycles of nature, from the mythical sower to the flowering corn to the autumnal reaper. What The Poppyfield and the Artist's Protest also reveals is the artistic possibilities hidden in his conception of the landscape, in the perspectival effect of depth and the accentuation of the canvas's surface. More than 50 paintings and drawings by the Dutch artist are represented here, all of them a tribute to van Gogh's idiosyncratic interpretation of the landscape. Additionally, this publication discusses the particular situation of Poppyfield, which was acquired by the Bremen Kunsthalle in 1911 amid the protests of German artists who were against the arrival of French modernism in German museums. Bremen curator Gustav Pauli, with the support of artists like Max Lieberman and Wassily Kandinsky, defended the purchase.

I have immersed myself completely in the vast plain of grain fields that stretches to the mountains, a veritable ocean. . . --Vincent van Gogh

Edited by Wulf Herzogenrath and Dorothee Hansen.
Essay by Roland Dorn.

Clothbound, 264 pages, 150 color and 100 b&w ... Read more

Product Description
The third volume in the series of Vincent Van Gogh drawings in the Van Gogh Museum features his Antwerp and Paris works. At the end of November 1885, Van Gogh went to Antwerp, where he attended lessons in drawing from plaster casts of classical statues at the Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten. He was also an active member of drawing clubs. At the beginning of March 1886, Van Gogh moved to Paris, where he lived with his brother, Theo, in the vibrant artists' quarter of Montmartre. The next two years were extremely important to his development as an artist. He met fellow artists and art dealers, and observed changes in French painting at first hand. While a pupil in the studio of Fernand Cormon, he came into contact with other artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Emile Bernard. He continued to commit his surroundings to paper, as he had in Antwerp. The catalogue reproduces over 100 drawings and discusses their technique, subject, exhibition history and provenance. An introduction examines Van Gogh's artistic development and looks at questions of dating and attribution. ... Read more

Product Description
When Van Gogh first visited Arles in Provence, he was stunned by the light, the landscape and the myriad shades of colour. He returned later and remained there until his death. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Violent van Gogh
I found this book very appealing.It touched on both his art and his emotional side. This might of been the happiest time of his life and it was all to breif.I tottaly recomend this book if you enjoy Vincent's works. ... Read more

Product Description
Van Gogh's brother Theo was his confidant and companion, and, in his letters to him, Van Gogh reveals himself as artist and man. Even more than if he had purposely intended to tell his life story, Van Gogh's letters lay bare his deepest feelings, as well as his everyday concerns and his views of the world of art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Dear Theo
Purchased this book during my Van Gogh stage in my painting. I read it quite soon after I purchased it and found it enlightening about the artist--what motivated him, his intense relationships with people, Theo's intense relationship with his brother, and how he arrived to be a world reknown painter being such a humble man. The book arrived in good condition, in a timely manner, and was a good price.

Nice insight
It is not as easy a read as Stone's van Gog biography Lust For Life, but for fans, it's a deep book.

Vincent tells of how he went into the fields to paint, and then a rain storm came. He sought meager shelter behind a big tree while it lasted, and then resumed. And because he had started with a low vantage point, he now had to stand on his knees in the mud! He seems to merely mention this to point out why he considers common workman's clothes to be the artist's best friend...

He also tells how he went out to paint the sea, in a storm so strong he could barely stay on his feet. One painting got so full of sand from the beach that he went to a nearby inn and retouched it... and then went back out into the storm to finish it with fresh impressions!

Today, most of us: "Go out with the camera today? Nah, it's a bit nippy, and I just got the Sopranos on DVD..."

Irving Stone edited Dear Theo, and while he may have done a good job generally, I think it was a disservice to the material to not indicate where he cut it. It is just one long text, no dates and no indication where each quote starts or ends.

Let the reader beware- this is more novel than letters
I, like the many reviewers of this book, was enthralled and inspired by this collection of letters when I first read it 25 years ago.I have recommended it to many friends.At the time I would have given it five stars or even more if they were available.Irving Stone writes in his preface "My aim has been to edit the 1670 pages of material down to a swiftly flowing, continuous normal-sized book..."He succeeded but even 25 years ago I was a little disturbed by the complete absence of indications where exactly Mr. Stone had done his cutting, or his editing.Today, in the age of internet we can now do some easy checking.The unabridged letters are on the net and reveal that basically what this Dear Theo is, is another novel written by Irving Stone.There is almost no resemblance to the original letters.The novelist has used his talents and the raw material to create a beautiful saga.Worth reading, but let the reader beware.

A fire starter
These letters speak the truth of van Gogh.This book opens a window of knowledge on a man so misunderstood to the world.At 14, I absolutely am in love with this book."Dear Theo" has ignited a fire in my soul, a burning desire to study art and the men behind the works.

Interesting and revealing
Vincent Van Gogh was a great painter, but not a writer. So these letters are of interest in terms of history and painting. The life of Van Gogh is better exposed here than it would have been in a "real" autobiography, because Theo, his younger brother, was the only real friend Vincent ever had. He was his supporter, admirer and listener, and in fact Vincent had an emotional dependence on his brother. People interested in the process of artistic creation and creativity will find this book of enormous value and interest, since Van Gogh speaks a lot about that process in himself, one of the greatest painters of all time.But it is true, as one reviewer said, that these letters include, each and every one, eternal whining and begging from Vincent to his brother. He was, of course, always out of money and, as a genius really disconnected from the common world, unable to make a living by conventional activities. So he depended almost entirely on Theo. I would like to insist in that, although by no means a literary accomplishment, these letters are worth reading, since they expose naked the soul of a great artist and an extremely sensitive man, certainly a tortured and twisted soul. ... Read more

Product Description
A complete catalogue of the 871 paintings and a detailed monograph on his life and art

This study of Vincent van Gogh represents a rare and happy chance in art history, combining a detailed monograph on his life and art with a complete catalogue of the 871 paintings by one of the greatest modern artists. This volume also reproduces most of van Gogh's paintings in colour for the first time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Disapointed
I was familiar with this set of books titled Vincent van Gogh, the Complete Paintings.It consists of 2 volumes and is seven hundred something pages that is housed in a cardboard case to protect the dust jackets.That is what I ordered and I received volume one only.The description on the website did not indicate that it was half of the set.The emails to the company were not helpful.I am very unhappy.Vincent Van Gogh: The Complete Paintings

Love this book
Loads of paintings I'd never seen before in this book.Good quality and handy size.

Must Have
Van Gogh: The Complete Paintings (Klotz)

What an amazing teaching tool!I have used this tome in my art classes for adults for several years now.Packed full of color photographs of his work, they are separated into the periods of his life.You see what he painted and what his mood and life was at the time.All 700 pages of text have a color photograph or two or three, yet, there is still an extensive biography! Totally a bargain for this price or any price!

Bought it... Browse it..... Love it¡¡¡¡¡....
This book was a great find, I've been a Van Gogh Fan all my life, but I was a little dissapointed with the book's published about him,but this one is a real exception: jam packed with info and well illustrated with all his paintings and the price is a real bargain¡¡

Good Collection
I enjoyed a Van Gogh Exhibit and wanted to get a collection of his works to look at and decided on this book.

It is pretty encompassing with a wide range of paintings, though some here indicate it may not be complete.

As to the images, they are of a quality that was similar enough to what I recall to seeing, so it serves its purpose well (though I wish all the painting coulds have been larger, but of course in light of the amount of material it is too be expected.)

So overall I found this a good buy for what I wanted. ... Read more

Product Description
A wall calendar. ... Read more

Product Description
Two dozen of the great Dutch artist’s most famous works, reproduced in card format: Starry Night, Roulin the Postman, The Night Café, Bouquet of Sunflowers, Self-Portrait with Pipe, L’Arlésienne, Boats on a Beach at Saintes-Maries, The Church at Auvers, and 16 others. Lovely reproductions in miniature for framing, for use as bookmarks, or for sending brief messages.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good, Artistic, and usable
It is real good to have giftwrap paper related to Van Gogh's painting. The cost is cheap and is worthful. ... Read more

Product Description
Vincent van Gogh is best known for two things - his sunflowers and his ear-cutting. But there are many other ways of knowing this remarkable son of a Dutch pastor, who left his chill homeland for the sunshine of Arles in the South of France; and left us over a thousand frank letters of struggle and joy, to help us glimpse his inner world.Vincent came late to painting after spending time in London trying to be a Christian missionary. And though he is now amongst the most famous artists on earth, in his day, no one saw him coming - apart from one French art critic called Aurier. It is possible he never sold one of his paintings in his life time.When he discovered the sun in Arles, he also discovered energy. Yellow for him was the colour of hope, and in his last two years he painted almost a canvass a day. But hope ran out on July 27th , 1890 when he shot himself, aged 37. He was at this time six months out of a mental institution, where perhaps he experienced his greatest calm. Vincent compared himself to a stunted plant; damaged by the emotional frost of his childhood. 'Conversations with Van Gogh' is an imagined conversation with this remarkable figure.But while the conversation is imagined, Van Gogh's words are not; they are all authentically his. "Speaking with Vincent - which he insists on being called - was a privilege,' says Simon Parke. 'He's endlessly fascinating, contradictory, moving, funny, insightful and tragic. There's a fury in him; but also a great kindness. He found harmony in human relationships elusive; his love life was a painful shambles. But with colour, he was a harmonic genius, and he has much to say about this. And here's the thing: for a man who killed himself - he died in the arms of his brother on July 29th - spending time with him was never anything but life-affirming.' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A gem of a book
I loved this book.

Simon Parke manages the impossible here - in one slim volume, the figure of van Gogh in all its messy, glorious humanity comes alive.

While Parke stands back, asks intelligent and sensitive questions, offers an occasional wry comment, and simply listens, the painter speaks about his family, art, beauty, love, suffering, God - in short, anything and everything that matters in life.

The story is both heartbreaking and inspiring, in equal measures.But even if you thought that you knew the story, it's the man behind the myth that we get to know and love.

It left me greedy for more and I wanted to be reckless enough to buy the new Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh (Thames & Hudson, in 6vol), but at £395, common restraint prevailed.

Buy this instead, it's a little gem!

An unexpected insight
I read this book, by chance, shortly before seeing the Van Gogh & his letters exhibition in London. Completely fascinating. I've read plenty of biographies about Vincent, but 'hearing' his own words from his letters and diaries gave me a quite different picture and explained his personal world much more clearly.

Van Gogh as the afflicted genius is an easy cliché, but this really exposes his love of nature and the self-doubt which drove him to experiment further and further with the chromaticism which helped him capture his environment. An unusual book and an unusual insight.

The man behind the paintings
I've always been a big fan of Van Gogh's paintings but after going to the recent exhibition in London, that featured many of his letters, I wanted to find out more about his words. Luckily I came across this wonderful book that not only features his letters but builds upon their contents in an honest and thought provoking way. Simon Parke has really managed to bring Vincent to life and shines a light on the complexities of a brilliant mind. The book warms the heart and challenges the brain and I would recommend this book not only to fans of Vincent who want to know more, but to those who are interested in delving into the human condition as a whole. ... Read more

Product Description
The happiness of Theo van Gogh (1857-1891) and Jo van Gogh-Bonger (1862-1925) was to last less than two years. After some initial hesitation on Jo's part, they became a couple in December 1888, and were separated by Theo's mental breakdown in early October 1890. His death in January 1891 brought their life together to an end. Their correspondence, comprising 101 letters, is kept in the Van Gogh Museum and presents an endearing picture of two young people planning the necessary arrangements for their life together in Paris. They discuss finding an apartment, purchasing household goods, and the style of the interior decorations in their new home.

The correspondence also offers a unique picture of the views of a man who played an important role in the Parisian art world of the 1880s. Theo, and his brother Vincent, amassed a great number of works which are now the core of the Van Gogh Museum collection. Finally, we are given more information about Theo's life as an art dealer in Paris, his dealings with other artists and prominent figures in artistic circles, and the vicissitudes in the fortunes of Vincent van Gogh. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not Just for the Student of Art...
What a wonderful book!Not just for the student of art... reading this correspondence could inspire us all.It is fresh, vivid and frank.And it is a reminder that before e-mail, we once wrote letters... before telephones, we once poured our hearts out on paper... before television, we exercised our brains and spent time building relationships.

It's ironic how often Jo and Theo mention how inadequate they are at expressing themselves on paper, when actually the opposite is true.In these letters that we are so privileged to be able to read, they are so considerate and thoughtful of each other's feelings and actually get inside each other's minds by reading and expressing thoughts on paper.In this way, their time apart is spent getting to know each other, almost as much as if they were in the same room.

Jo often writes, in her womanly way, about practical matters, true, but is so endearing as she scolds herself for being too trivial or boring and never allows herself to get too bogged down by teacups and dressing gowns.Jo seems to be quite liberated.In one letter she says she's shocked at Theo mentioning that he might want to keep her locked up inside the new apartment; in another letter, she lets Theo know in no uncertain terms that he should not delude himself that she has no opinion on a subject as important as the arrangement of the furniture - that she has "ten opinions for that matter."She's got spirit.And Theo is so sweet as he constantly reminds her that everything she does is important to him and that he loves hearing about "everyday things" in her life.We find ourselves getting to know these two and anticipating what the reply will be in the next letter.

At the same time, it is touching how Jo is so sympathetic and loving toward Theo's plight with his brother and often tries to be helpful without being too pushy or presumptuous.Reading these letters, one can see the plan and her life purpose unfolding.We can't imagine anyone else playing this part in the Van Gogh brothers' life more compassionately and productively.

Theo's expression in letters exalts his position in the van Gogh story and he comes across as literally a prophet and seems to know not only that one day Vincent will be world famous, but so much more.His own writings here show us how valuable a role Theo played in Vincent's imminent success.It's as though they were one person.On one hand, Theo understands Vincent completely and knows his soul; yet on the other, he is destroyed by the constant worrying his brother's hopeless situation brings.He wishes good things for Vincent, but knows they'll never happen.

The thing that I enjoyed the most about this book is reading Theo's thoughts on art.He was a true unmitigated art lover and a romantic soul who was able to feel and embrace the meaning and essence of paintings and the artists' expression.I love Theo's letter to Jo (27 Jan. 1889) where he compares music to art.And the poignant remark, "I realise I'm filling my page with what are probably incomprehensible flights of fancy..."

When Theo sets out to define art, it is as if he were right there with Vincent painting in the mistral winds, "What is art?...the painter will in all likelihood have succeeded in giving us a glimpse of ourselves... he will have succeeded in touching our very soul... this concept is the purest."

"The painter can only tell us about what the world reveals to him and, if he is a great artist, he does so in a way that moves us."

Theo talking about Degas, Monet, de Haan, Gauguin...what a glimpse into a chapter in art history that has been interpreted over and over in movies, books and art classes... but never expressed in this way.Reading him describe a Monet painting is sheer delight!

But his heartfelt soul bleeds most when he talks about Vincent.He knows him as well as he knows himself and when he calls Vincent a genius, explains why he has such difficulties and knows the paradox that is Vincent; when he reminds Jo that he is "exceptional" and that there is no solution where Vincent goes, that "There's no such thing as a peaceful environment for him," Theo is, in a way also talking about himself.

Theo tells Jo he has "a marble by Rodin representing the head of John the Baptist on a platter.The sculptor chose a figure for the precursor of Christ that bears a striking resemblance to Vincent."In her introduction to the "complete letters," Jo added, "Later, when I saw the sculpture, I found it bore a perfect resemblance to Theo."

That about says it all.

New insights into Vincent van Gogh and his family
In this volume the 101 existing letters between Vincent's brother, Theovan Gogh, and Theo's fiance, Johanna Bonger, are published for the firsttime in their entirity.

Through the letters the reader gains insightsinto a young Dutch couple in love in the late 19th century.The book notonly presents intriguing and very personal insights about Vincent van Gogh,but is also a compelling and touching chronicle of two young people as theyprepare for marriage and a life together.A life tragically brief, as thetitle suggests.

Much has been written about Vincent van Gogh, of course,but it's fascinating to read insights about how his own family andcontemporaries perceived him.For example Theo wrote: "He is one ofthe most advanced painters and it is difficult to understand him, even forme who knows him so intimately. His ideas cover so much ground, examiningwhat is humane and how one should look at the world, that one must firstfree oneself from anything remotely linked to convention to understand whathe was trying to say, but I am sure he will be understood later on. It isjust hard to say when."

A satisfying and very worthwhile explorationof three lives--forever interwoven. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The importance of drawing for Van Gogh
Besides the reproductions of Vincent's drawings. This book goes into the craft of making sketchbooks: How pages are organized. Sewing the bindings.The construction of the cover.There are a plethora of books on making sketchbooks in the past few years. But, this book is a double whammy. It not only contains intimate information on VanGogh's work in drawing,but has this explicit information about the craft of the books. He had a compartment in the rear of the book to keep notes.Of all of the books I own on sketchbooks this book is the most valuable.It shows how valuable sketchbooks were to an artist that seemed as though he would never master the basics of drawing . But, became one of the greatest draftsman of all time.The modest price on this book is money well spent.

What a glimpse...
Both the text and the images in this book are priceless -- the photos of the actual sketchbooks of Van Gogh evoke a feeling that right here, inside these small books, is a map of the process of an artistic genius. The end section that shows some of the sketches next to finished works is a great illustration of that exact process.

The essays and description of the reconstruction of these sketchbooks was both interesting and scholarly.Good reference for art historians and artists alike. ... Read more

Product Description
A fascinating view of the lives and works of major artists. The books describe the challenges and hardships suffered by most artists and how their genius was accepted by the world. Their techniques are fully illustrated by copies of their works. These books encourage an understanding and appreciation of art in the young reader. ... Read more

Product Description
Choice drawings—from early impressions of peasant life to studies for Starry Night, other masterpieces. 44 b/w illus. Captions.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Extremely poor reproductions
Guess my title says it all. This book was a big disappointment. The reproductions are so faint it's not worth buying.

Van Gogh Drawings
Drawings in this set were not very good quality. But they are interesting (and reasonable) if you are not familiar with them.[[ASIN:0486254852 Van Gogh Drawings: 44 Plates (Dover Art Library) ... Read more

Product Description
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Van Gogh, a man worth getting to know.
In his early years as an artist, Vincent Van Gogh vividly related his concept of art to his brother Theo in two separate letters from July of 1882, numbered 218 and 221. In this book of Vincent's letters, translated by W.H. Auden, these letters can be more carefully read than if I were to paraphrase or quote bits and pieces here. His letters are a portal into the mind of a great artist and a misunderstood man. While there are more complete books of Van Goghs writings available, this collection gets to the core of Vincent as a man and as an artist.
Vincent was not some wacko who cut off part of his ear and shot himself from insanity, he was rather, a deeply caring man, a genius who observed life so far over the heads of the so-called art experts that they could not see his vision. I did not become a lover of Vincent's art work until after I had read this book of his letters and was able to see more clearly what he was conveying on canvas. I have admired Auden as a poet for many years and this translation of his is far more readable than other translations I have read since. For anyone who has ever admired Van Gogh's paintings, this book is a must read, but for anyone who has seen them and not appreceiated his perception of the world, read this book and you will change your mind and your heart as well. You might even come to understand and love this great man's artwork. JJ

An excellent selection of letters
The British poet WH Auden has compiled a wonderful selection from Van Gogh'sletters. Auden makes his selection..."What," I asked myself, "is the single most important fact about Von Gogh?" To that there seemed only one answer - "That he painted pictures". Hence the selection focuses on those letters which contain his reflections on the art of painting and the problems of being a painter. Other letters, eg to his father and brother, are included as they throw light upon Van Gogh's career as a painter. Also included are descriptions of VG by his acquaintances, 40 illustrations and a brief biography by his nephew. Of interest to artists as well as admirers of Van Gogh's works. ... Read more