* Vincent van Gogh - A Life in Letters (4 books)

VINCENT VAN GOGH (1853 – 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art.

In addition to his many remarkable paintings and drawings, van Gogh left behind a fascinating and voluminous body of correspondence.  The letters in these collections have been selected from the critically acclaimed 6-volume set of letters published by the Van Gogh Museum in 2009.

The letters focus on van Gogh’s relentless quest to find his destiny, a search that led him to become an artist; the close bond with his brother Theo; his fraught relationship with his father; his innate yearning for recognition; and his great love of art and literature.  The correspondence not only offers detailed insights into van Gogh’s complex inner life, but also re-creates the world in which he lived and the artistic avant-garde that was taking hold in Paris.

Van Gogh was an avid reader, and his letters reflect his literary pursuits as well as a uniquely authentic literary style.  His writing style in the letters reflects the literature he read and valued: Balzac, historians such as Michelet, and naturalists such as Zola, Voltaire and Flaubert.  Gauguin once told him "that he read too much" (sound familiar, anyone?).  He often illustrated his letters with sketches and drawings of common people and he enthusiastically discussed the work of a very diverse range of artists.


The following books are in ePUB format unless otherwise noted:

* Ever Yours: The Essential Letters [ed. Jansen et al.] (Yale, 2014) -- ePUB + PDF
* The Letters of Vincent van Gogh [ed. de Leeuw] (Penguin, 2003)
* Vincent van Gogh: A Life in Letters [ed. Bakker et al.] (Thames & Hudson, 2021)

ALSO:

* Vincent van Gogh [Victoria Charles] (Parkstone, 2014) – ePUB / PDF (includes artworks and selected letters)


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