The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh (Penguin Classics)

Product Information

would immediately see through him, but instead as a true friend of mine, a man who loved artists and people above art, saw the world in its beauty and splendor in shades, light and types of paint. In the letters Vincent reflects different facets of his personality and he adopts a tone specific to his circumstances. Even when institutionalized and hospitalized he thinks of nothing but when, how, where, and what he can paint next. Few artists' letters are as self-revelatory as Vincent van Gogh's, and this selection, spanning his artistic career, sheds light on every facet of the life and work of this complex and tortured man.

I want to be careful in writing this review because I want to do what I can to urge you to put this book in your list of Books I Should Read During my Lifetime. I wydaje mi się, że właśnie ten zbiór można potraktować jako jego ostatni, namalowany z największą skrupulatnością i jędrnym, zdecydowanym wyczuciem gestu, autoportret. The letters are a testament to his great love for his brother, and the many works of genius he left for those of us who today appreciate it.His words shook me to the core and broke my heart some times, inspired and uplifted me at other times. Collection of letters written and received by Vincent van Gogh In April 1885, Vincent wrote his brother about his first masterpiece, The Potato Eaters.

Those obsessed with Van Gogh or painting in general might find a lot to learn - and those who enjoy reality TV might get a similar kick out of the bizarre twists and turns of this self-narrated life. It is interesting to read his letters from this stage of his life as he seems to be quite fundamentalist, however as it turns out that theology wasn’t down his alley either, so he decided to become a missionary to the Dutch miners.

At the time he went through a stage of religious fanaticism, his letters fully reflect his thoughts; at the time he was involved with Sien Hoornik his letters reflect his feelings. In reality their relationship was always fraught, and by the end of the year they had parted for good, van Gogh himself hospitalised following a breakdown in which he had mutilated one of his ears.

But always there was that practice, practice, practice the need to align through visual description and color the emotions elicited by nature, by the poor peasants, simple objects and ordinary people he insisted in painting. Hughes closes and essay saying that Van Gogh was a great painter in spite of his madness, not because of it - and having read his letters, I'm inclined to agree. And this personal meaning to his painting is what explains that even if it was after his arrival in Paris in 1886, where he fell under the spell of Impressionism, when he changed his palette from the earth tones to the bright and primary colours, he pursued something very different from the French painters.I have also written three blog posts on Vincent as well, one from when I visited the museum in Amsterdam, one of a special exhibition there on his madness, and one of an exhibition of his works that came to Melbourne.