Biographies
Listed below are some of the many biographies available on Vincent van Gogh. The first two, by Jan Hulsker and Marc Tralbaut, are generally considered the best.
- Vincent and Theo Van Gogh: A Dual Biography by Jan Hulsker (Fuller Technical Publications, 1990): Hulsker's biography of Vincent and Theo is extremely well regarded in the arts world. There's really no risk when it comes to anything Dr. Hulsker has produced--he's one of the foremost Van Gogh scholars in the world and each and every one of his books is an absolutely invaluable resource.
- Vincent van Gogh by Marc Edo Tralbaut (Viking, 1969): An excellent biography with beautiful reproductions of Van Gogh's works, extensive research and analysis, as well as interesting "then and now" photographs comparing Van Gogh's works to contemporary photographs. An excellent companion to the Hulsker listed above.
- Van Gogh: A Beginner's Guide by Andrew Forrest (Hodder and Stoughton, 2002): This new biography is an excellent overview of Van Gogh's life. This concise guide is well researched and written in an intelligent and engaging style. For those new to art history, Forrest frequently details specific keywords to assist the reader. Recommended.
- Van Gogh: His Life and Art by David Sweetman (Touchstone, 1990): There are literally hundreds of biographies of Vincent van Gogh available, but for my money you just can't go wrong with David Sweetman's work (it's also found under the name The Love of Many Things: The Life of Vincent van Gogh). Extremely well researched and well written, Sweetman's book is disturbing, but always entertaining and insightful. Unfortunately this excellent book is currently out of print.
- Van Gogh in England: Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man by Martin Bailey (Lund Humphries Pub. Ltd., 1992): Martin Bailey focuses specifically on Van Gogh's years in England. This period of Van Gogh's life isn't very well known to most people and yet it's pivotal in terms of Vincent's development as an artist. Bailey does a first-rate job in providing little known information about Vincent's time in England. Extremely well researched and well written I highly recommend this excellent book.
- Vincent Van Gogh; a Biographical Study by Julius Meier-Graefe (Greenwood, 1970): One of the first major biographies of Vincent van Gogh. This book, which has been reprinted several times, was first published in 1926. Leandro Fanzone from Argentina offers a guest review of Meier-Graefe's book: one version in English and another in Spanish.
Fictional Biographies
- Lust for Life by Irving Stone (New American Library Trade, 1989): One of the standards--an excellent and entertaining exploration of Van Gogh's life. The interested reader should be aware, however, that Stone often bends the truth in order to suit his own dramatic needs. While Lust for Life is undeniably entertaining, it's often accused of oversentimentalizing Van Gogh's life.
- Johanna: A Novel of the Van Gogh Family by Claire Cooperstein (Scribner, 1995): A very entertaining book which focuses on the true "unsung hero" of the Van Gogh saga: Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, Theo's wife. Cooperstein has done a very good job of researching Johanna's story as well as Dutch life at the turn of the century. Cooperstein tells her tale through a series of fictionalized letters and private journal entries. The result is often moving and quite effective (when Johanna writes, for example, "the brother who ruined my life has become my life."). What's particularly surprising is that the author wrote this book five years before the publication of the 101 existing letters between Johanna and Theo, Brief Happiness: The Correspondence of Theo Van Gogh and Jo Bonger. Remarkably, the "voice" that Cooperstein has given Johanna is quite close that found within her actual letters.
The book falters from time to time, particularly with the sexual references which seem out of place and contrived. Johanna's final resignation to Vincent is also a bit disappointing. But an excellent exploration, nonetheless, of the admirable life of Johanna van Gogh-Bonger.
Of Particular Interest . . . .
- Theo van Gogh by Chris Stolwijk and Richard Thomson, with a contribution by Sjraar van Heugten (Waanders, 1999): Published in conjunction with the exhibition Theo van Gogh (1857-1891), art dealer, collector and brother of Vincent, this book is a wonderful exploration of the life of Vincent's brother, Theo van Gogh. Extremely well researched and well written, the reader will find photographs and biographical information never before published.
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