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Mio fratello Vincent: ricordi personali
Una selezione, in nuova traduzione, delle memorie di Elisabeth van Gogh, sorella del grande pittore olandese, in cui ripercorre dall’infanzia alla morte, le tappe di un’esistenza travagliata ma tanto importante per la storia dell’arte moderna.
35 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 26, 2017
My initial review of this book was scarred by being based on an incomplete copy of this reproduction of an early 20th c. book. Once things were clarified with NetGalley and the publisher, I read the book again. The introduction on Van Gogh in his time, theory, use of light, etc, remains. In addition, there are the author's memories from childhood and beyond of her older brother, the one who never fit in in the family, but who her parents supported as he sought a path. Her reminiscences appear colored by family lore and sentiment but are also a bridge to a distant past.
I believe this would be an interesting addition to the collection of any art lover who particularly admires or is fascinated by Van Gogh and his work. It is a personal, at times perhaps sentimental, story of his youth, family life, the area in which he lived, his successes and failures.; a sister's loving biography. There are also details of his life up to his death but these are dealt with gently, with no specifics re precise cause of death. I also think many others would simply enjoy reading this book for the historical sense of it.
There are also several reproductions of Van Gogh's work included in this Dover Publications Edition. While they are provided in black and white, not the color one expects from this artist, they do reveal much of his technique, his subjects (people, places) and they do relay a sense of his power and strength. For an artist so unloved in his own time, Van Gogh has certainly moved into an entirely other realm today. I wonder whether acceptance would have changed his life at all or if he would have continued just as tortured, as he appears to have been driven totally by his need to paint and to paint as he wanted.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I believe this would be an interesting addition to the collection of any art lover who particularly admires or is fascinated by Van Gogh and his work. It is a personal, at times perhaps sentimental, story of his youth, family life, the area in which he lived, his successes and failures.; a sister's loving biography. There are also details of his life up to his death but these are dealt with gently, with no specifics re precise cause of death. I also think many others would simply enjoy reading this book for the historical sense of it.
There are also several reproductions of Van Gogh's work included in this Dover Publications Edition. While they are provided in black and white, not the color one expects from this artist, they do reveal much of his technique, his subjects (people, places) and they do relay a sense of his power and strength. For an artist so unloved in his own time, Van Gogh has certainly moved into an entirely other realm today. I wonder whether acceptance would have changed his life at all or if he would have continued just as tortured, as he appears to have been driven totally by his need to paint and to paint as he wanted.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
March 5, 2017
This book is a lovely collection of some of his unseen works, drawings and painting and his life shown in memories. showing who he was and how he lived. How he saw the poorer people as inspiration for his work. It was an interesting book to read, it was more than just his art, it was his life, his personality and his vision of the world.
Not a picture book, an in-depth study of the artist as a man.
Not a picture book, an in-depth study of the artist as a man.
February 6, 2017
Thank you, Houghton-Mifflin and Elisabeth Duquesne Van Gogh for the opportunity to read this book and offer an unbiased review.
Perhaps there was a glitch in the download? Because all I had was samples of his artwork, which of course are superb. But what I wanted was his sister's memories. I had none of that. I cannot write a review of a book on paintings alone.
Perhaps there was a glitch in the download? Because all I had was samples of his artwork, which of course are superb. But what I wanted was his sister's memories. I had none of that. I cannot write a review of a book on paintings alone.
Read
January 15, 2017I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a van Gogh devotee, so I will read any book about him. This one is a reprint of a pamphlet from before the 1920s. It's interesting to see how he was perceived then and how our ideas about van Gogh have changed over time. While this doesn't really bring any new information, it does have some paintings and drawings that I haven't seen before. Overall, this probably isn't for casual fans of van Gogh, but if you are very interested in him like me, you will be interested.
I'm a van Gogh devotee, so I will read any book about him. This one is a reprint of a pamphlet from before the 1920s. It's interesting to see how he was perceived then and how our ideas about van Gogh have changed over time. While this doesn't really bring any new information, it does have some paintings and drawings that I haven't seen before. Overall, this probably isn't for casual fans of van Gogh, but if you are very interested in him like me, you will be interested.
April 9, 2023
Il volume tratta della vita di uno dei più grandi pittori del XIX sec. per opera della sorella Elisabeth.
Ne esce il ritratto di un uomo fuori dal comune che conduce una vita breve e disperata fino a finire al margine della società. Come scrive Francesca Degani nella nota al testo, "Vincent è un ragazzo, e poi un uomo, dal carattere chiuso, solitario, con grandi slanci che si alternano a reazioni comprensibili". Questa vita gli consentirà di dipingere opere tra le più belle come "I mangiatori di patate" che mi ricordano i personaggi di "Germinale" di Zola, ossia gli ultimi, i più poveri e emarginati.
Mantiene pochissimi contatti con la famiglia, nonostante il padre più volte l'abbia "tirato fuori dai guai", ad eccezione del fratello Theo che sarà anche l'ultima persona a vederlo in vita:"Arrivò in tempo. Come premio per tanta devozione, tenera cura e amore disinteressato, gli fu data la possibilità di chidere gli occhi di colui che aveva amato come si ama senza trattenere nulla, con ogni respiro, ogni battito del cuore e ogni pensero [...] Per lui morire era più facile che vivere. La Morte gli era andata incontro.".
Un bel libretto che offre spunto per approfondire la biografia di un personaggio straordinario e che come tanti è stato apprezzato solo dopo la morte.
"[...] E stasera ho tradito gli affetti
ho affittato i miei occhi a una banda di ladri
vedo quel che vedono loro
tu conosci mica qualcuno
che è disposto a chiamarmi fratello
senza avermi letto la mano [...]"
F. de Gregori - Informazioni di Vincent - 1974
Ne esce il ritratto di un uomo fuori dal comune che conduce una vita breve e disperata fino a finire al margine della società. Come scrive Francesca Degani nella nota al testo, "Vincent è un ragazzo, e poi un uomo, dal carattere chiuso, solitario, con grandi slanci che si alternano a reazioni comprensibili". Questa vita gli consentirà di dipingere opere tra le più belle come "I mangiatori di patate" che mi ricordano i personaggi di "Germinale" di Zola, ossia gli ultimi, i più poveri e emarginati.
Mantiene pochissimi contatti con la famiglia, nonostante il padre più volte l'abbia "tirato fuori dai guai", ad eccezione del fratello Theo che sarà anche l'ultima persona a vederlo in vita:"Arrivò in tempo. Come premio per tanta devozione, tenera cura e amore disinteressato, gli fu data la possibilità di chidere gli occhi di colui che aveva amato come si ama senza trattenere nulla, con ogni respiro, ogni battito del cuore e ogni pensero [...] Per lui morire era più facile che vivere. La Morte gli era andata incontro.".
Un bel libretto che offre spunto per approfondire la biografia di un personaggio straordinario e che come tanti è stato apprezzato solo dopo la morte.
"[...] E stasera ho tradito gli affetti
ho affittato i miei occhi a una banda di ladri
vedo quel che vedono loro
tu conosci mica qualcuno
che è disposto a chiamarmi fratello
senza avermi letto la mano [...]"
F. de Gregori - Informazioni di Vincent - 1974
May 23, 2023
While it's extremely short, it fails to do justice to 'the personal recollections of Vincent Van Gogh. It's writing style is almost poetic and accessible. It's a good read nonetheless.
Its strength is the clarity with which it captures the apparent 'strangeness' of Vincent and his unending Sisyphean attempt to make sense of his inner world while being cordial to the dynamics of the outer world.
It made me want to know about Van Gogh more.
Its strength is the clarity with which it captures the apparent 'strangeness' of Vincent and his unending Sisyphean attempt to make sense of his inner world while being cordial to the dynamics of the outer world.
It made me want to know about Van Gogh more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 8, 2018This book is definitely not for the casual observer of Van Gogh's work, however if you are truly interested in his life and works, you will completely enjoy this book.
It also included several reprints of his work that I have not seen before.
It also included several reprints of his work that I have not seen before.
December 21, 2023
"The sadness will last forever."
April 28, 2018
I meant to put this book down last night, I really did. But it's such an easy read, I gobbled the last 50 pages in hardly any time at all.
This book was not exactly what I was expecting. It is not an attempt to know or understand Vincent van Gogh so much as an attempt to understand what it was like to know Vincent in life. There are so many vocations we could have lost van Gogh's work to forever. He could have been an art dealer (but could not cope with the fashionable taste), a teacher (but he could be so impatient), a bookseller, a priest. Much tender attention is given to his parents' fretting for his future, and there are several fascinating stories of Vincent sending himself into utter poverty by giving all he had to the poor around him.
If you picked up this book for the infamous ear story, or to hear about Gauguin, you will be disappointed that the book glosses over much of van Gogh's time in the south of France. But if you wondered about the life and family he came from and the vocations that attracted him before he found his way to painting, this is a rich and wonderful read in just a few short pages wonderfully interspersed with plates of van Gogh's work.
This book was not exactly what I was expecting. It is not an attempt to know or understand Vincent van Gogh so much as an attempt to understand what it was like to know Vincent in life. There are so many vocations we could have lost van Gogh's work to forever. He could have been an art dealer (but could not cope with the fashionable taste), a teacher (but he could be so impatient), a bookseller, a priest. Much tender attention is given to his parents' fretting for his future, and there are several fascinating stories of Vincent sending himself into utter poverty by giving all he had to the poor around him.
If you picked up this book for the infamous ear story, or to hear about Gauguin, you will be disappointed that the book glosses over much of van Gogh's time in the south of France. But if you wondered about the life and family he came from and the vocations that attracted him before he found his way to painting, this is a rich and wonderful read in just a few short pages wonderfully interspersed with plates of van Gogh's work.
July 9, 2021
This slim book provided valuable insight into the inner workings of Vincent's life. Previously I'd had no idea how he regularly drove himself to the physical brink and had to be nursed back after collapsing. No wonder people thought he was mad or crazy --- he was merely driven, and his lack of a regular schedule caused a physical and mental collapse. Most people can only do this once, but poor Vincent did this repeatedly.
He studied hard so he could take a university entrance exam, which focused on Latin and Greek. He learned those two languages in a few months, because he was so brilliant. But he studied into the night, and one night he snapped. He was writing until the strokes became unintelligle scratches. So he missed the exam date to recuperate.
He became a Protestant missionary to a Belgian mining community. However, an epidemic of typhoid broke out. He devoted himself to tending the sick day and night until his own health broke, and his mother came to take him home again.
This is the kind of pattern I read of in books about the brilliant cryptographers of World War II, who went days without sleep in a fever to decode enemy messages until their bodies and minds could take no more. Then they were of no help to the war effort for the duration.
So let us not snigger about poor Vincent being crazy or mentally unstable or some such thing. He suffered from not having anyone to keep him on a regular schedule. Unfortunately he could not live with his mother or devoted brother Theo his whole life, and more's the pity.
Wiki says of his output, "In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of which date from the last two years of his life." He was on fire! Just think how many more years he could have lived and painted if he'd taken better care of himself. He might even have lived long enough to get the satisfaction of his style catching on with the general public.
He studied hard so he could take a university entrance exam, which focused on Latin and Greek. He learned those two languages in a few months, because he was so brilliant. But he studied into the night, and one night he snapped. He was writing until the strokes became unintelligle scratches. So he missed the exam date to recuperate.
He became a Protestant missionary to a Belgian mining community. However, an epidemic of typhoid broke out. He devoted himself to tending the sick day and night until his own health broke, and his mother came to take him home again.
This is the kind of pattern I read of in books about the brilliant cryptographers of World War II, who went days without sleep in a fever to decode enemy messages until their bodies and minds could take no more. Then they were of no help to the war effort for the duration.
So let us not snigger about poor Vincent being crazy or mentally unstable or some such thing. He suffered from not having anyone to keep him on a regular schedule. Unfortunately he could not live with his mother or devoted brother Theo his whole life, and more's the pity.
Wiki says of his output, "In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of which date from the last two years of his life." He was on fire! Just think how many more years he could have lived and painted if he'd taken better care of himself. He might even have lived long enough to get the satisfaction of his style catching on with the general public.
February 7, 2017
Hmm… This is a worthwhile book, in that it's from the horse's mouth, if you deign to call Vincent van Gogh's sister Elisabeth a horse. It certainly covers the artist's life story – the work in an art shop, the religious temperament, the slow build to the genius creations he's held in such esteem for, and perhaps surprisingly it doesn't shirk much in the way of his latter illness. But from the remove of 2017 it's in such a very flowery style (the first foreword here, for one, is so pretentious it might as well live in Pseud's Corner) that it isn't the most approachable text. This wouldn't be a major problem were it not for better, more readable biographies since, that cover pretty much the same ground, and which the casual browser would be much more eager to read than these stilted pages, which remain as a result more of academic interest. Still, it's probably a very good thing that this unique manuscript has been republished – although the same cannot be said of the accompanying artworks, which have never deserved to be in black and white, as they are here.
January 20, 2019
This short book was written twenty three years after the death of Vincent van Gogh by his sister. The book is beautifully illustrated by some of Vincent van Gogh's work, it is well written. It doesn't however go into detail and I got the feeling there was much more that I was not being told but it does give a good glimpse into the life of the artist. It would be a good addition to other biographical work. This one is quite personal and it also takes the reader into the lives of artists in the nineteenth century.
January 6, 2018
I was really surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. I have to admit I didn't know much about Vincent Van Gogh except that he was mentally ill and he cut off his ear. Well, nothing was mentioned about the ear but I did learn about the man not just the crazed painter. I almost want to say he bordered on sainthood and I personally do not believe he killed himself. I am curious now to read more about him.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
March 10, 2025
This was a bit of a disappointment.
There just aren't many 'personal recollections' - which is odd as I thought Vincent was reasonably close to Elisabeth.
This really amounts to little more than a patchy narrative of his life.
There just aren't many 'personal recollections' - which is odd as I thought Vincent was reasonably close to Elisabeth.
This really amounts to little more than a patchy narrative of his life.
March 19, 2017
This was a free ebook on Barnes & Noble, and I knew it might be a rough presentation. The OCR scanning was pretty bad and there was no attempt to edit any of it. But, it was not entirely unreadable, and the content was excellent, so very much worth the read. Vincent's sister's personal insights into her brother's life offered a rare glimpse into his world from the viewpoint of someone who was there and knew him. And, this short little book -- the part written by his sister -- was very well written, without any of the phony pretentiousness that so many artists' biographers rely on.
August 30, 2023
nice to hear personal stories from vincent's sibling !!!!
February 22, 2026
Hmm, not too keen on this, written by Van Gogh’s sister 20 years after his death. It doesn’t read or feel like it’s information is trustworthy…..
August 6, 2026
Livre intéressant mais trop court
February 10, 2017
Excellent! This would be a great book to read before attending a Van Gogh exhibition.
August 23, 2018
So much drivel has been written about Van Gogh.
I enjoyed reading this account of his life, written by his sister and published in English in 1913.
I see no reason to disbelieve her account of his family's support as well as the well-known support of his brother Theo. His family didn't quite know what to make of his art but they knew he was special and they cared about him.
His sister cites the increasing frequency of epileptic attacks as the factor which led him to no longer want to live.
Theo van Gogh quotes his last letter, "I try just as hard as certain other painters do, whom I have loved and honored." He continues, August 5, 1890: "One must acknowledge that he was a great artist; to be a great man often goes hand in hand. Time will bring the honor due him, and many a one will grieve to think he died so young. He himself desired to die. While I was sitting by him, trying to persuade him that we would heal him, and that we hoped he would be saved from further attacks, he answered: 'La tristesse durerat toujours.' I felt I understood what he wished to say."
This is a precious little book for anyone who loves Van Gogh.
I enjoyed reading this account of his life, written by his sister and published in English in 1913.
I see no reason to disbelieve her account of his family's support as well as the well-known support of his brother Theo. His family didn't quite know what to make of his art but they knew he was special and they cared about him.
His sister cites the increasing frequency of epileptic attacks as the factor which led him to no longer want to live.
Theo van Gogh quotes his last letter, "I try just as hard as certain other painters do, whom I have loved and honored." He continues, August 5, 1890: "One must acknowledge that he was a great artist; to be a great man often goes hand in hand. Time will bring the honor due him, and many a one will grieve to think he died so young. He himself desired to die. While I was sitting by him, trying to persuade him that we would heal him, and that we hoped he would be saved from further attacks, he answered: 'La tristesse durerat toujours.' I felt I understood what he wished to say."
This is a precious little book for anyone who loves Van Gogh.
February 21, 2017
A very short biography about Vincent Van Gogh. This one like many older books has a flare for the more dramatic but it worked well. I learned more from this biography than other books so it was wonderful learning more about such a tragic figure.
I received a copy from netgalley.
I received a copy from netgalley.
February 7, 2017
I loved Personal Recollections of Vincent Van Gogh by Elisabeth Huberta Du Quesna-Van Gogh so much that I have already read it two times. I have been a fan of Van Gogh and was required to study him in college, as an art student. I was lucky enough to see many of his original pieces that were displayed at galleries across the USA a few years ago. I became interested in why he chose to paint differently than the other artists of his time.
This book goes more into who Van Gogh was as a person and discussed his personal experiences that influenced his artwork. There is little talk if line quality, nor color, but more talk about who Van Gogh was as a person, which I find most interesting. His travels and the poor people he met along the way had a huge effect on him and therefore on his artwork.
This book is a good read about Vincent as a person and how he translated his feelings for the poor and unfortunate people he lived with and among during his many travels. I love his artwork, but anyone who also wants a glimpse at Vincent Van Gogh as a person and to understand him, who he was, and how that came across in his work, should definitely read this book. I received this book free for the purpose of providing an honest review.
This book goes more into who Van Gogh was as a person and discussed his personal experiences that influenced his artwork. There is little talk if line quality, nor color, but more talk about who Van Gogh was as a person, which I find most interesting. His travels and the poor people he met along the way had a huge effect on him and therefore on his artwork.
This book is a good read about Vincent as a person and how he translated his feelings for the poor and unfortunate people he lived with and among during his many travels. I love his artwork, but anyone who also wants a glimpse at Vincent Van Gogh as a person and to understand him, who he was, and how that came across in his work, should definitely read this book. I received this book free for the purpose of providing an honest review.
February 3, 2017
This book is definitely not for the casual observer of Van Gogh's work, however if you are truly interested in his life and works, you will completely enjoy this book.
It also included several reprints of his work that I have not seen before.
It also included several reprints of his work that I have not seen before.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews