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A Fire in His Soul: Van Gogh, Paris, and the Making of an Artist
The fascinating story of Vincent van Gogh’s two groundbreaking years in Paris, where he transformed himself from a provincial unknown into one of the world’s great visionary artists.
Vincent Van Gogh arrived in the French capital on the last day of February 1886, a month short of his thirty-third birthday. He was a man beaten down by life, half-starved, and nearly broken psychologically. He was saved by his brother Theo, who provided him with room, board, and, most crucially, emotional support while he attempted to master the difficult craft of painting. Thus far, Vincent's crude scenes of peasant life rendered in murky shades of brown and gray were both hackneyed and amateurish. Theo, a successful art dealer at a prestigious Parisian firm, dismissed them as gloomy, unappealing, and, worst of all, unmarketable.
By the time Vincent left Paris, almost exactly two years later, he’d transformed himself into one of the most original artists of the age, turning out works of hallucinatory intensity in vivid hues and stamped with his own distinctive personality. A Fire in His Soul chronicles this remarkable transformation. It’s a tale filled with tragedy and triumph, personal anguish and creative fulfillment, as Vincent, through sheer force of will, reinvents himself as a painter of unparalleled expressive power.
Along the way, the reader will discover an unfamiliar Van not the solitary genius of the popular imagination, shunned by an uncomprehending world and conjuring masterpieces from the depths of his lonely soul. In Paris, he was at the center of a community of like-minded seekers. Here, Van Gogh was able to engage in a lively dialogue with fellow artists almost as daring as he was, expanding his notion of what art could and should be.
It was in the cafes and studios of Montmartre and in the grand galleries of the Louvre and Luxembourg, that Van Gogh received his artistic education—a crash course that at first disoriented him but ultimately sparked his creative breakthrough. Working alongside such legendary figures as Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Seurat, and Signac, he found his voice and launched an artistic revolution.
Vincent Van Gogh arrived in the French capital on the last day of February 1886, a month short of his thirty-third birthday. He was a man beaten down by life, half-starved, and nearly broken psychologically. He was saved by his brother Theo, who provided him with room, board, and, most crucially, emotional support while he attempted to master the difficult craft of painting. Thus far, Vincent's crude scenes of peasant life rendered in murky shades of brown and gray were both hackneyed and amateurish. Theo, a successful art dealer at a prestigious Parisian firm, dismissed them as gloomy, unappealing, and, worst of all, unmarketable.
By the time Vincent left Paris, almost exactly two years later, he’d transformed himself into one of the most original artists of the age, turning out works of hallucinatory intensity in vivid hues and stamped with his own distinctive personality. A Fire in His Soul chronicles this remarkable transformation. It’s a tale filled with tragedy and triumph, personal anguish and creative fulfillment, as Vincent, through sheer force of will, reinvents himself as a painter of unparalleled expressive power.
Along the way, the reader will discover an unfamiliar Van not the solitary genius of the popular imagination, shunned by an uncomprehending world and conjuring masterpieces from the depths of his lonely soul. In Paris, he was at the center of a community of like-minded seekers. Here, Van Gogh was able to engage in a lively dialogue with fellow artists almost as daring as he was, expanding his notion of what art could and should be.
It was in the cafes and studios of Montmartre and in the grand galleries of the Louvre and Luxembourg, that Van Gogh received his artistic education—a crash course that at first disoriented him but ultimately sparked his creative breakthrough. Working alongside such legendary figures as Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Seurat, and Signac, he found his voice and launched an artistic revolution.
- GenresArtBiographyNonfiction
672 pages, Hardcover
Published March 4, 2025
20 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
Miles J. Unger
10 books81 followers"Michelangelo: A Life in Six Masterpieces"is the culmination of a life-long passion for the art and culture of Italy. As a child, I spent five years in Florence, and I have been haunted by the beauty and storied past of this most remarkable of cities ever since.
Over the years I have written for "The New York Times", "The Boston Globe," "The Washington Post", as well as numerous art magazines. For the past decade I've concentrated on the culture and history of the Italian Renaissance, writing biographies of three of the giants of the age: Lorenzo de' Medici ("Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de' Medici"); Machiavelli ("Machiavelli: A Biography"); and now Michelangelo ("Michelangelo: A Life in Six Masterpieces"). The last in this Renaissance trilogy is perhaps nearest and dearest to my heart, a labor of love and a tribute to the transcendent, unpredictable, and often difficult nature of genius.
Over the years I have written for "The New York Times", "The Boston Globe," "The Washington Post", as well as numerous art magazines. For the past decade I've concentrated on the culture and history of the Italian Renaissance, writing biographies of three of the giants of the age: Lorenzo de' Medici ("Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de' Medici"); Machiavelli ("Machiavelli: A Biography"); and now Michelangelo ("Michelangelo: A Life in Six Masterpieces"). The last in this Renaissance trilogy is perhaps nearest and dearest to my heart, a labor of love and a tribute to the transcendent, unpredictable, and often difficult nature of genius.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 8, 2025
So, apparently Vincent van Gogh was a pretty nuts person. And not just for during the time he cut his own ear off—like his whole life. But anyway, I thought that this book was a pretty good cultural biography of Van Gogh, one that set his life in its time and place and how the world around van Gogh affected his perspective and career. Considering I didn't know too much about VVG beforehand, it was a very informative read.
October 20, 2025
Extraordinary exegesis of the evolution of an artist with dozens of color illustrations as well as black and white inserts.
If you are here for the sordid details of his self mutilation and tragic end, this is not your book. There is plenty of speculation about that elsewhere. Besides, the reality is essentially much more mundane when it is briefly presented here. What is much more vital and interesting is how Vincent became Von Gogh. What drove a man with little to no formal training and an underprivileged background to become such a monumental and transformative artist that still resonates in our time?
A total of ten percent of this book tops is spent on formative and terminal issues: family background and death. The bulk is the art world of the time in Europe, and the movement that emerged which we now call the Impressionists. Whereas Seurat micro sized it into pointillism (the collection of small brush points or "dots" that leave the impression of a whole painting), Van Gogh does similar with swashes and swerves that create a halo effect around portraits as well as movement and growth in natural perspectives. Unger is particularly solid in the vast bulk of the book that covers these paintings (and those of his contemporaries that both influenced him and which he reacted against), and the fellow Impressionists and the world they lived in. Most of that time is in Montmartre in the shadow of the Sacre Coeur and the Moulin Rouge, where most of these artists lived and worked. Theo, his brother, was his biggest supporter, and almost shares the spotlight in this study as he encourages, is frustrated by, and supports his brother's work, while also realizing that he is cut from a different cloth on the edge of sane behavior. We will never truly know what to call his mental condition, what disorder it may have been, but it certainly coincided with an ability to see beyond the scope of most artists in the breaking of boundaries.
The book is written with painterly attributes and some knowledge of art history is preferred but not by any means required. Unger is very clear about what makes Vincent so different and so great, and breaks us along for the ride for the story of an artist who burned with a different flame that most of his contemporaries. Certainly recommended for neophytes as well as those who are not but more than ready for another investigation. It never flagged for me and I was sorry to say goodbye to Vincent so abruptly, but I learned a lot more than I thought I knew. Excellent.
If you are here for the sordid details of his self mutilation and tragic end, this is not your book. There is plenty of speculation about that elsewhere. Besides, the reality is essentially much more mundane when it is briefly presented here. What is much more vital and interesting is how Vincent became Von Gogh. What drove a man with little to no formal training and an underprivileged background to become such a monumental and transformative artist that still resonates in our time?
A total of ten percent of this book tops is spent on formative and terminal issues: family background and death. The bulk is the art world of the time in Europe, and the movement that emerged which we now call the Impressionists. Whereas Seurat micro sized it into pointillism (the collection of small brush points or "dots" that leave the impression of a whole painting), Van Gogh does similar with swashes and swerves that create a halo effect around portraits as well as movement and growth in natural perspectives. Unger is particularly solid in the vast bulk of the book that covers these paintings (and those of his contemporaries that both influenced him and which he reacted against), and the fellow Impressionists and the world they lived in. Most of that time is in Montmartre in the shadow of the Sacre Coeur and the Moulin Rouge, where most of these artists lived and worked. Theo, his brother, was his biggest supporter, and almost shares the spotlight in this study as he encourages, is frustrated by, and supports his brother's work, while also realizing that he is cut from a different cloth on the edge of sane behavior. We will never truly know what to call his mental condition, what disorder it may have been, but it certainly coincided with an ability to see beyond the scope of most artists in the breaking of boundaries.
The book is written with painterly attributes and some knowledge of art history is preferred but not by any means required. Unger is very clear about what makes Vincent so different and so great, and breaks us along for the ride for the story of an artist who burned with a different flame that most of his contemporaries. Certainly recommended for neophytes as well as those who are not but more than ready for another investigation. It never flagged for me and I was sorry to say goodbye to Vincent so abruptly, but I learned a lot more than I thought I knew. Excellent.
August 10, 2025
An exhaustive biography that goes far beyond his time in Paris…also a subtitle might be “You have a good job going in Paris, and then your crazy deadbeta brother shows up without warning to wreck things” (sort of like National Lampoon’s Van Gogh Brothers)
A Fire in His Soul: Van Gogh, Paris, and the Making of an Artist by Miles Unger tells the story of Vincent Van Gogh, the Paris art scene, and how they came together to shape one of the greatest artists of the 19th century…
The first two hundred pages do a lot of set the scene…first covering the many trials and tribulations of Vincent on his path to an unknown future (often aided by his family…either his parents, uncles, or brother). Next they cover the significant importance of parison salons and culture to art history and how it evolved through imperialism, revolution, republicanism, and beyond…with the shifting moods of art impacted throughout…
There is a lot to consume in this massive tone with dozens of people and places playing major and minor roles.
One major subplot are the many failed love affairs of Vincent…often with art models and/or prostitutes (as the two jobs were not mutually exclusive)…regardless of where he lived or his official profession at the time…
Meanwhile Theo’s modest success as an art dealer serves to enable Vincent to pursue his interests (often uncaring of the impact it might have on others). Even before his mental Breakduwbs, he wasn’t a guy to be comfortable with (that includes if he liked you).
Still Van Gogh thrived in Paris and established himself…around two years or so before the last few years of his life when he pursued his failed yellow house, got committed for mental treatment, and eventually ended up in Auvers-sur-Oise…the town where he died (I’ll refrain from debating the circumstances of that).
Highly recommend even though it’s a lot to get through…
A Fire in His Soul: Van Gogh, Paris, and the Making of an Artist by Miles Unger tells the story of Vincent Van Gogh, the Paris art scene, and how they came together to shape one of the greatest artists of the 19th century…
The first two hundred pages do a lot of set the scene…first covering the many trials and tribulations of Vincent on his path to an unknown future (often aided by his family…either his parents, uncles, or brother). Next they cover the significant importance of parison salons and culture to art history and how it evolved through imperialism, revolution, republicanism, and beyond…with the shifting moods of art impacted throughout…
There is a lot to consume in this massive tone with dozens of people and places playing major and minor roles.
One major subplot are the many failed love affairs of Vincent…often with art models and/or prostitutes (as the two jobs were not mutually exclusive)…regardless of where he lived or his official profession at the time…
Meanwhile Theo’s modest success as an art dealer serves to enable Vincent to pursue his interests (often uncaring of the impact it might have on others). Even before his mental Breakduwbs, he wasn’t a guy to be comfortable with (that includes if he liked you).
Still Van Gogh thrived in Paris and established himself…around two years or so before the last few years of his life when he pursued his failed yellow house, got committed for mental treatment, and eventually ended up in Auvers-sur-Oise…the town where he died (I’ll refrain from debating the circumstances of that).
Highly recommend even though it’s a lot to get through…
October 20, 2025
Eh
Became interested in Van Gogh while in the Netherlands a couple summers ago and was curious to learn more about him. Troubled guy to say the least, kind of a pos tbh
Glad I gave it a shot, always want to learn something new and here I learned that I won’t be reading art history bios for a while lol
Became interested in Van Gogh while in the Netherlands a couple summers ago and was curious to learn more about him. Troubled guy to say the least, kind of a pos tbh
Glad I gave it a shot, always want to learn something new and here I learned that I won’t be reading art history bios for a while lol
January 19, 2026
Overall I enjoyed the book but felt there was far too much detail and it felt too focused on Vincent and Theos relationship. He was kind of a terrible person in many respects.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews