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Vincent Van Gogh: Drawings
Van Gogh, the painter whose work was one of the major inspirations for twentieth-century art, is given a fresh and thorough appraisal in this comprehensive new study. The author looks at the influences on his life and work and discusses his paintings in depth. Van Gogh's letters to his brother Theo and other artists, particularly Gauguin, are also examined.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 24, 2019
The book about Vincent van Gogh's drawings was published in 1990, on the centenary of his sudden death in July 1890. In addition to about nine hundred oil paintings, he produced about eleven hundred drawings during his ten-year career. The drawings were sketches and various studies, often made using pen and ink or watercolours.
It has been said that in ten years he developed from an amateur sketcher to a mature master painter. He wanted to aquire a firm hand for drawing before going to painting with oil. After reading the book I have to say that he was a skillful draughtsman right from the beginning. He did not start from level zero. For example, the black chalk drawing "A Boy Cutting Grass with a Sickle" from 1881 is more than just an amateur drawing. After five years of practise, Vincent felt his drawing skill had reached the ease of writing. He writes to his younger brother Theo:
"Technically speaking, drawing in itself is easy enough for me; I am starting to do it just as one writes, with the same ease. Anyone who can draw a figure from memory is much more productive than someone who does not have that ability."
Theo was an art dealer and supported Vincent financially for years. Theo believed in Vincent as an artist and gave much needed encouragement. Finally, he saved Vincent's letters for the future art community. Without the letters also this book would loose both the personal touch and the historical bindings we are now able to enjoy.
Van Gogh's drawings were not exhibited during his lifetime. Only after his death in 1890, one of the drawings was sold in an exhibition in 1891.
Among other things, the drawings show interestesting details of rural and city life during Vincent's time. For example, horse-drawn trams can be seen in the drawings.
Ronald Pickvance, one of the writers of the book, mentions that many drawings from 1888-1890 seem to be lost. Later on in 2016, a book "Vincent van Gogh: The Lost Arles Sketchbook" was published. It details an astonishing discovery of a sketchbook containing 65 drawings by Vincent van Gogh. However, not all art experts agree about its authenticity. If the sketchbook turns out not to be a forgery, the discovery is one the greatest artistic finds of the century.
It has been said that in ten years he developed from an amateur sketcher to a mature master painter. He wanted to aquire a firm hand for drawing before going to painting with oil. After reading the book I have to say that he was a skillful draughtsman right from the beginning. He did not start from level zero. For example, the black chalk drawing "A Boy Cutting Grass with a Sickle" from 1881 is more than just an amateur drawing. After five years of practise, Vincent felt his drawing skill had reached the ease of writing. He writes to his younger brother Theo:
"Technically speaking, drawing in itself is easy enough for me; I am starting to do it just as one writes, with the same ease. Anyone who can draw a figure from memory is much more productive than someone who does not have that ability."
Theo was an art dealer and supported Vincent financially for years. Theo believed in Vincent as an artist and gave much needed encouragement. Finally, he saved Vincent's letters for the future art community. Without the letters also this book would loose both the personal touch and the historical bindings we are now able to enjoy.
Van Gogh's drawings were not exhibited during his lifetime. Only after his death in 1890, one of the drawings was sold in an exhibition in 1891.
Among other things, the drawings show interestesting details of rural and city life during Vincent's time. For example, horse-drawn trams can be seen in the drawings.
Ronald Pickvance, one of the writers of the book, mentions that many drawings from 1888-1890 seem to be lost. Later on in 2016, a book "Vincent van Gogh: The Lost Arles Sketchbook" was published. It details an astonishing discovery of a sketchbook containing 65 drawings by Vincent van Gogh. However, not all art experts agree about its authenticity. If the sketchbook turns out not to be a forgery, the discovery is one the greatest artistic finds of the century.
August 17, 2017
This book provides great insight into the drawings behind the paintings of van Gogh.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews