Vincent van Gogh

by Isabel Kuhl, Stephen Telfer (Translator)

Anyone studying a Van Gogh painting with its heavily articulated brushstrokes, dazzling color, and hypnotic perspective will wonder about the artist who created such masterpieces. Although some details of the Dutch artist's brief and tragic life have been mythologized into the popular culture, this book takes a deeper look at Van Gogh's history and oeuvre. Drawing on Van Gogh's correspondence, this book allows readers to experience the artist's life and work synchronistically, with brilliant reproductions of his most famous and lesser-known works. In addition, it provides valuable information about where readers can view Van Gogh's work in museums throughout the world. Art lovers will find much to discover in this appealing and accessible overview of one of the world's most compelling figures.

Contents:
The artist seen through his own eyes --
A letter-writer and his brother --
Painting in black --
Greyish pink and bright yellow : the art of colour.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Isabel Kuhl is an art historian living in Cologne, Germany. Her books include Andy Warhol and Vincent van Gogh (both by Prestel).

Dr. Isabel Kuhl ist Kunsthistorikerin, freie Lektorin und Autorin, die schon zahlreiche Publikationen bei Prestel veröffentlicht hat. Sie lebt und arbeitet in Köln.

Reviews

[Nour AlHaj Yehia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Books, reality and art are one and the same thing to me". This sentence by Vincent Van Gogh in his correspondence to his brother Theo, is the reason why I asked the librarian to head me to the art section. When I first paged the book, I knew this is exactly what I was searching for. A book that talks about literally everything; the apprentice, the artist, the human, his confidence, enthusiasm, faith, hope, and in contrast: failure, doubt, disbelief, all in one book. This book is a great combination of art and literature at the same time. Having a look at real correspondences between Vincent and Theo, and drafts of his planned work, was an exceptional pleasure during reading.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 stars for the writing and editing of content.
4 stars for the design of the book, high quality prints, and appendix including a very helpful timeline of van Gogh’s life alongside a timeline major European events.

Overall 3.5/5

Beautifully designed biography of the life and major works of van Gogh. However, the writing itself was frustrating and poorly edited in many places. The overall format and framework of the narrative was confusing and unproductive. There were numerous juicy set ups with little to no payoff, specifically with regard to the tensions that existed between van Gogh and the wider art scene of his time (including artists, dealers, and Theo). Kuhl helpfully brings in many direct quotations from van Gogh’s letters on the various aspects of his life and art, but does not set them up well nor does she blend them in with the wider conversation or point she is attempting to make within the chapters and subsections. She also jumps around thematically, which left me lost many times. Overall, it felt like Kuhl picked 30 of van Gogh’s most compelling quotations, and tried to write a narrative biography around them, then slapped a few interesting sounding chapter titles and called it good.

I bought this at the Van Gogh immersive experience which was much more efficiently designed (i.e. clear timeline of both life and growth as an artist, climaxing in the immersion space where you sit and watch animated works of art while listening to van Gogh’s various reflections and sermons, then exploring the Arles of his time in a separate VR space). The book was $20 and will be a very handy resource for a basic timeline of his life and high quality photos of his paintings and drawings, but the bulk of the content itself was lacking.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art Reproductions: 5 Gloriously Detailed Stars
Coherence regarding van Gogh's Life:-3 Star Sadness

One buys this book for the coffee table, or to add to your art book collection for the sheer quality and quantity of the reproductions of Van Gogh's works. Having quite literally spent countless hours viewing so much of his work up close and in person in the museums containing the bulk of his works (like the Van Gogh Museum, Kröller-Müller Museum, D'Orsay, the MET, National Gallery of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago...) and also having touched many many art books, there are a surprising number of books in print out there that leave you wanting with regards to the common failure to truly capture a painting. I've got my own photographs luckily which do the works service, but that's still nothing to having an excellent book of reproductions for reference or enjoyment.

I can say this is one of the lightest, most affordable printed books available that vividly captures the depth and texture of his work (particularly from the last 2 years of his life where it's all texture all the time.)

The actual written content however, leaves much to be desired, and isn't recommended in any way as a biography due to its fractured timeline. A side-by-side translation of his letters to Theo would have been much preferred over what is included. The details of each painting are also inconveniently included in the rear of the book rather than alongside the actual reproduction but the book DOES make up for it with a world map of the locations of some of his key works (but even that is a bit lacking...)

[Eleana · Rating 4 out of 5]

First two chapters are a bit confusing. There seem to be no dates almost at all in these chapters and dates of paintings accompanying the words range widely and don't seem to necessarily belong with the rest of what's being said.
However, later chapters are much more coherent and well written with good use of quotes from the artist through out the book.

[achitaka Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more ugly, old, vicious, ill, poor I get, the more I want to take my revenge by producing brilliant colour, well arranged, resplendent.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So in love with this book. The quotes and paintings are spectacular enough, and then to also have his letters and biography.. It's beautiful!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a college thesis, but a great coffee table book and of course the art is beautiful.