Van Gogh: Arles Saint-Rémy

by Jean Leymarie

27 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

Jean Leymarie (17 July 1919, Gagnac-sur-Cère, Lot – 9 March 2006) was a French art historian.

Reviews

[leynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't plan to read this book for the Reading Rush but my mom stumbled upon it in our local second hand bookshop and got it for me. It's a super tiny book about Van Gogh's time in Arles and Saint-Rémi and it features 15 paintings of his that he drew in his time there. Vincent is definitely one of those tragic figures in history who is getting his due way too late but who is also often misrepresented in the media because (similarly to Frida Kahlo) it's now trendy to idolise him.

My mom has been obsessed with Van Gogh for quite some time now and therefore I've also been exposed to his art. Personally, I have to admit that I don't like everything he has drawn. Some of his pictures are too rough and "simple" for me. It's hard to explain but I tend to prefer art that is a bit more on the realistic side or just more detailed in general. For example, I really adore Van Gogh's Wheat Field with Cypresses or his Starry Night Over the Rhône because I can look at these paintings for hours and still discover new things, but some of his work like Corridor in the Asylum or Bedroom in Arles just don't do anything for me.

I enjoyed this particular book since it featured 15 paintings, most of which I liked, but the introduction by Jean Leymarie seemed overly pretentious and empty.

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This is the second book I read for the Reading Rush 2019.

[Erling]

Van Gogh was a wonderful painter, however this tiny book is quite unremarkable. It does not add anything of value besides some basic information. I still loved the paintings at the end.