- Following Van Gogh: From Zundert to Auvers (available from www.waanders.nl) by Jack Nouws and Vincent van de Wijngaard (Waanders, 2003): Over the years there have been a number of "following in Van Gogh's footsteps" books. I recommend Priscilla Bain-Smith's book below for its specific focus on Paris. But of all the books that trace Van Gogh's footsteps none can compare to Following Van Gogh. This book focuses on each of the twenty-three locations Van Gogh lived throughout his life. Beautifully photographed by Van de Wijngaard this is a comprehensive exploration of the many villages and cities Van Gogh lived in.
Following Van Gogh is superior to other books like it in that it's written in an engaging manner and is far more accurate and comprehensive than its predecessors. The book is well researched by Nouws (who himself hails from Zundert--Van Gogh's birth place) and, very importantly, it's completely up-to-date with regards to newly opened historical locations. While the book is excellent, I would only offer two small suggested changes (for the second edition perhaps?). Van de Wijngaard's photographs often don't match the chapter--in other words, a photograph of Isleworth will be found with the Paris chapter or a shot of the Borinage will appear in the Amsterdam chapter. In addition, a map of all the Van Gogh-specific locations would have been a handy accompaniment to each chapter. But these points are minor. This book is, without question, the best of its kind. For those interested in walking the same paths that Vincent van Gogh once did, visiting the same churches, drinking in the same cafes, Following Van Gogh is indispensable.
(Available in three different languages: English, Dutch and French.)
- Van Gogh Walks . . . Paris by Priscilla Bain-Smith (Elpub, 2003): Vincent van Gogh's two years in Paris, from early 1886 to 1888 are arguably the most pivotal in terms of his development as an artist. The Paris of the mid to late-nineteenth century was a Mecca for artists who went there to hone their craft and learn from each other's ongoing creative struggles. In Paris Van Gogh's palette came to life. In this book, author Priscilla Bain-Smith takes the reader to Vincent's Paris. She explores the streets of Paris and discovers many of the places that played an important role in Van Gogh's life. From the shop of Père Tanguy who displayed Vincent's paintings to Theo's apartment (or rather, the five apartments Theo rented in Paris), this book is a thoroughly enjoyable exploration of twenty-first century Paris--while keeping a firm foothold in the 1880s. Van Gogh Walks . . . Paris includes maps, hotel recommendations and pages for the reader to take notes during their own explorations of the City of Light.
- Van Gogh's Table at the Auberge Ravoux by Alexandra Leaf and Fred Leeman (Artisan, 2001): For much of his career as an artist Vincent van Gogh's diet was a poor one. At times he lived solely on bread and coffee--occasionally he went without food altogether, his money spent on art supplies or models. Can a book called Van Gogh's Table provide a substantial fare when Vincent's own table was often empty? Absolutely.
Van Gogh's Table at the Auberge Ravoux is an engaging and entertaining exploration of Vincent van Gogh, his life and the cuisine of his time. The first half of the book, written by Fred Leeman (former chief curator of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam) follows Van Gogh's life--specifically focusing on the cafes and restaurants he frequented. As Vincent van Gogh's true potential as an artist blossomed, so too did his affinity toward the cafe world. For Van Gogh, the cafe was a place to socialize, argue, eat, drink and was often the subject of his most famous artworks (Cafe Terrace, Night Cafe and Restaurant de la Sirène at Asnières to name just three). Leeman's exploration of Van Gogh's life is extremely well written and is accompanied by superb illustrations.
Part One of Van Gogh's Table concludes with an in-depth section by Julia Galousy of the history of the Auberge Ravoux, the inn where Van Gogh lived, took his meals and ultimately died in 1890. The inn, now owned by Belgian Dominique-Charles Janssens, welcomes visitors today--just as it did in Van Gogh's time--with an inviting atmosphere and traditional French cuisine. Galousy's piece is an excellent segue into the second half of the book, by Alexandra Leaf. Part Two is a delightful overview of French cuisine in the Auvers-sur-Oise region along with dozens of recipes.
While it's true that Vincent van Gogh was malnourished for much of his last ten years, he was fortunate to find healthy food during his stay at the Ravoux Inn. Leaf discusses the types of fare Van Gogh would have eaten: cuisine populaire (traditional home-style cooking), cuisine du terroir (regional cooking) and cuisine bourgeoise (fancy home cooking). An interesting history of each type of cuisine is presented along with the accompanying recipes (such as "Rosemary Roast Chicken" or "Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce") that offer the reader a taste of the food Van Gogh himself might have enjoyed during his time in Auvers.
Van Gogh's Table at the Auberge Ravoux is hugely enjoyable. It's beautifully researched and explores Van Gogh life (and, sadly, his final days at the Auberge Ravoux) in a highly interesting and always entertaining manner. Recommended.
- Starry Starry Night: Life and Psychiatric History of Vincent van Gogh by Erwin van Meekeren (Benecke, 2003): There have been a number of books written over the years focusing specifically on Van Gogh's mental and physical issues which lead to his self-mutilation, ongoing breakdowns and eventual suicide. The problem that many of these books have is that they come to the table with their own agenda. The psychological theorist with a specialty in the study of epilepsy can attribute Van Gogh's health issues to epilepsy; the theorist who specializes in manic depression insists on manic depression, etc.
The greatest strength of Starry Starry Night is that the author, Erwin van Meekeren (a Dutch psychiatrist and specialist in borderline personality disorder) examines the topic thoroughly but keeps an open mind and doesn't jump to any unsupportable conclusions. While it's true that Van Meekeren does propose that Van Gogh suffered from borderline personality disorder (an unstable mental state characterized by depression, anxiety, confusion and several other symptoms), he does so in a purely speculative manner, while at the same time taking into account the many other factors that figure into the complex exploration of Van Gogh's health issues.
So is it satisfying for the reader when the author doesn't come up with an all-encompassing, conclusive answer to the central question? Absolutely. The author takes a less dramatic, but far more accurate route in which he examines a variety of possibilities without citing any one as the ultimate answer. Van Meekeren himself cautions against those writers that "attribute everything to a single diagnosis, something that is often done by people who 'discover' the clinical picture of Vincent." Furthermore, Van Meekeren takes a rare, and very refreshing, approach by downplaying Vincent's "double" (the stillborn brother, Vincent, born exactly a year before the artist) as well as the ear incident (a small piece of the overall puzzle of Vincent van Gogh's mental health and far too sensationalized). Van Meekeren has done his homework and his book is very well researched. And, perhaps best of all, Van Meekeren takes the wisest path of all by depending mainly upon Vincent's letters to tell the story. How better to interpret the patient's illness than by analyzing the musings of the patient himself?
Starry Starry Night could have been improved with a bit more editing. There are a few minor typographical mistakes and the graphs could have been better presented. The book's main weakness is an ongoing repetition of the biographical details of Van Gogh's life--the same incidents are mentioned in detail over and over. But these are minor criticisms. Starry Starry Night is an excellent overview of Vincent van Gogh's physical and mental problems and explores the issue in a scholarly but engaging and entertaining manner. Van Meekeren has done an admirable job of historical research and also in the objective diagnosis of a patient dead for more than 110 years. Not an easy task, and not always one undertaken successfully by others, but the author's work is commendable.
- Van Gogh's Peasant by Steven M. Ulmen (Publish America, 2004): This short story, inspired by one of Van Gogh's lesser known drawings, Peasant with Sickle, Seen from the Back, is a pleasant and low key depiction of an old farmer in the twilight years of his life. This story, while not specifically about Van Gogh at all, uses this simple and poignant drawing as the basis for a lyrical tale of the never-named farmer's lonely but satisfying life. Ulmen's story, with virtually no dialogue, is a study in understatement--a trait many aspiring writers should try to emulate.
- Catalogue of the Van Gogh Museum's Collection of Japanese Prints by Charlotte van Rappard-Boon, Willem van Gulik and Keiko van Bremen-Ito (Van Gogh Museum, 1991): A beautiful and definitive look at the impressive collection of Japanese prints held by the Van Gogh Museum. The prints belonged to Vincent and he held them in great value. Indeed, it's interesting to visit the third floor of the Van Gogh Museum to see the actual Japanese prints, along with Vincent own three beautiful Japonaiseries paintings. The reproductions in this book are outstanding.
- Portrait of Dr. Gachet: The Story of a Van Gogh Masterpiece by Cynthia Saltzman, (Viking, 1998): Saltzman's book, which follows the "travels" of one of Van Gogh's best known portraits over 100 years, is one of the best written, best researched works it's ever been my pleasure to read. Frankly, I found the level of detail and the depth of the research to be staggering. Saltzman traces the painting from its original owner, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger (Vincent's sister-in-law), to its subsequent hand-offs to a wide variety of collectors over the course of the next century. This journey spans the galleries of Paris through to its confiscation by the Nazis (who considered the work "degenerate") finally to its world-famous status as the most expensive painting ever sold at auction. Saltzman's book is a fascinating study of the Gachet portrait, but more to the point--it's a captivating study of art and its place within society throughout the twentieth century. Saltzman has done an outstanding job--highly recommended.
- The Van Gogh File: The Myth and the Man by Ken Wilkie (Souvenir Press Ltd., 2004): This book, by Scottish writer Ken Wilkie, has appeared in a number of forms over the years. In 1973 Wilkie was assigned by The Holland Herald to write an article about Van Gogh to mark the opening of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Wilkie's story was eventually published as a book under two different titles: In Search of Van Gogh and The Van Gogh Assignment. Fourteen years after the last edition, the latest version, The Van Gogh File, has been released.
Ken Wilkie's book has received a great deal of attention over the years and for good reason. It's an interesting tale of searching for Vincent van Gogh through the people that knew him and the places he lived. Wilkie's dogged determination in seeking out undiscovered Van Gogh information has been fruitful. While searching for information about Van Gogh's time in England Wilkie uncovered a previously unknown early drawing by the artist: Vincent's Boarding House in Hackford Road, Brixton, London. The Van Gogh File is an interesting and entertaining exploration of various periods in Van Gogh's life. Wilkie knows how to tell a tale: from being bashed over the head with a baguette by the current owner of Theo van Gogh's Paris apartment to scaling the walls of the asylum in Saint-Rémy in order to visit the artist's small room there.
The Van Gogh File has been updated from its previous editions. Readers, however, may find some parts of Wilkie's book a bit anticlimactic. In the earlier editions Wilkie sought to prove that Van Gogh had a child with the prostitute Clasina Hoornik who lived with him in The Hague. Another set of clues lead Wilkie to believe that an unknown Van Gogh portrait is buried in a garden in Antwerp. Now, fourteen years since the last edition of this book came out, both issues remain unresolved.
In addition, one aspect of The Van Gogh File I found a bit uncomfortable was Ken Wilkie's sense of entitlement when it comes to details about the Van Gogh family. Vincent's sister, Elisabeth, had a child out of wedlock in 1886. I admire Wilkie's tenaciousness in trying to uncover new details about a niece that Vincent van Gogh never knew, but occasionally his desire to plumb new depths in the Van Gogh saga cause him to lose sight of the fact that the Van Gogh family, however famous, is still entitled to their privacy. I discuss this difficult dilemma in an article "Am I Truly . . . . Your Sunshine? Privacy vs. History: Reflections on the Van Gogh Family Letters."
But these are minor criticisms. I'm an admirer of Ken Wilkie and a new edition of his book is a welcome thing indeed. Wilkie's enthusiasm and passion for the subject are contagious which is why the previous versions and, no doubt, the current version have been so successful. Ken Wilkie's contributions to Van Gogh research over the years have been remarkable. His new book is highly recommended to Van Gogh enthusiasts young and old alike.
- Van Gogh and Millet, Louis van Tilborgh, editor (Waanders, n.d.): It's fairly safe to say that the works of Jean-François Millet influenced Van Gogh more profoundly than any other artist. Millet's poignant and beautiful portrayal of peasant life had a tremendous impact upon Van Gogh as his genius was developing. This book is an excellent and in-depth exploration focusing on Millet's influence on Van Gogh and comparing the works of the two painters.
- Van Gogh, Anna Torterolo (DK Art Books, 1999): For a smaller book designed to give a high level overview of Van Gogh's life and career as an artist, this book is surprisingly informative and well written. Van Gogh's life is covered in a well researched commentary and there are also sub-sections devoted specifically to "Masterpieces". The graphics are excellent and the analysis clear and concise. In terms of a good, brief overview of Vincent van Gogh, this book is first rate.
- Van Gogh: A Retrospective, edited by Susan Alyson Stein (Beaux Art Editions, 1986): This one is going to keep me busy for a long time. At first glance, this huge volume may seem like just another very nice coffee-table book. Don't be fooled. True, this gorgeous book does have hundreds of reproductions of Vincent's works, but its real appeal lies in the dozens of essays written by various scholars and art historians about Vincent and his contemporaries (there are submissions on Père Tanguy, the Neo-Impressionists, Van Gogh's influence on modern painting, etc., etc.). An extremely thorough and scholarly work (with an incredible foldout reproduction of Wheat Field with Crows).
- Van Gogh: The Passionate Eye by Pascal Bonafoux (Discoveries, 1992): This small book proved to be quite entertaining. In it you'll find a number of drawings and sketches, neglected by most of the "complete" books. It also has a number of small chapters which include information I've never come across before. For example, you'll find the one favourable critique published about Van Gogh's work while he was still alive: "The Isolated Ones: Vincent van Gogh" by G.-Albert Aurier (January, 1890). Incredible that Aurier was able to really grasp Van Gogh's genius when so few others could. Also incredible is just how badly written the essay is: long, boring, pedantic--the man didn't know how to punctuate--it's just one long sentence. Still, reading it was entertaining and insightful all the same.
- Van Gogh in Arles by Alfred Nemeczek (Prestel, 1995): I just received this book for Christmas this year and, though I haven't had the chance to read it yet, I'm very much looking forward to it since it focuses on my own personal favourite period of Van Gogh's life and work.
- Van Gogh: The History and Techniques of the Great Masters by William Hardy (Quantum, 1997): If you're looking for a basic, straightforward overview of Van Gogh's artistic techniques, then this is a fairly good book. Ten works, spanning Van Gogh's ten year career, are examined and discussed in terms of their composition and overall artistic execution. Not a scholarly book by any means (and there's nothing wrong with that), but a good overview with some excellent extreme close ups of the brushstrokes.
- In the Footsteps of Van Gogh by Gilles Plazy (Penguin Studio Books, 1997): This entertaining book is well written and has some wonderful photographs (by Jean-Marie del Moral) of the various locations where Van Gogh lived and worked. I bought this book in anticipation of future vacations when I'll follow in Van Gogh's footsteps myself. The book is a bit disjointed (it doesn't follow Vincent's life in chronological order) and it would be nice if some of the unusual facts I read had referential footnotes, but still--it's quite enjoyable and I'd definitely recommend it.
- The Van Gogh Museum Journal (Waanders, pub.): The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam produces this (usually annual) series of books which are an absolutely fascinating compilation of articles about Van Gogh, his works and the other various holdings in the vast collection of the Van Gogh Museum. Examples of the manuscripts in these journals include "Radiographic images of Vincent van Gogh's paintings", "Strands interlacing: colour theory, education and play in the work of Vincent van Gogh" and "'Our crown and our honour and our joy': Theo van Gogh's early years". These journals, though of great interest to any Van Gogh enthusiast, might be difficult to find in your local bookstore. You can, however, order The Van Gogh Museum Journal directly from the publisher:
Waanders Uitgeverers
P.O. Box 1129
8001 BC Zwolle
The Netherlands
- Vincent van Gogh: Painter, Printmaker, Collector (Norton Simon Museum, 1990): As with the activity pack mentioned below I also picked this book (well, it's more of a booklet really) at the excellent bookshop in the Norton Simon Museum. It gives a good, brief overview of Vincent's life and work and then goes on to look specifically at the six beautiful Van Gogh paintings which are part of the Norton Simon's collection.
- The Yellow House at Arles: Gauguin / Van Gogh by Dennis Hayes and Richard Payne (Playwrights Canada, 1984): An interesting play about Van Gogh and Gauguin's time together in Arles in late 1888. This work, which was first performed in 1983 at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto is quite effective in capturing the turbulent nature of the Van Gogh/Gauguin relationship. Well researched, the play occasionally becomes too mired in grating theatrical devices, but interesting and entertaining all the same.
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