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Vincent van Gogh–one of the 19th century’s most brilliant artists–will forever be remembered as the Dutchman who cut off his ear. But this incident only underscores the passion that consumed him–a passion that, when he took up painting at age 27, infused his work. Whether painting a portrait, a landscape, or a still life, Van Gogh sought to capture the vibrant spirit of his subject. It didn’t matter that others found his work too unconventional. Van Gogh persevered. And as he moved from the cold climate of Holland to balmy southern France, he pioneered a new technique and style.
In a career spanning only a decade, Van Gogh painted many great works, yet fame eluded him. This lack of recognition increased his self-doubts and bitter disappointments. Today, however, Van Gogh stands as a giant among artists.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Must buy!
Great book for all kids. I'm an art teacher and have used this book as an assigned reading. It's very hard to find good books for kids about artists. This is the exception.

Odd duck Dutchman disappoints, ditches; gains respect and admiration for masterful artwork only in death
The last words of a dying Vincent van Gogh, having shot himself in the stomach ten years into his career as an artist, (p 103) "I wished I could pass away like this." A tragic ending to a troubled life, van Gogh was only thirty-seven years old. Although his family worried about his extremist behavior, mental state, relationships with women, and inability to make a decent wage (for much of his life, his brother Theo supported him), the Dutchman's self-confidence in the salability of his work is obvious from letters he wrote to his supportive younger brother (over 600 in all). And although he had male friendships, female relationships, and a brief engagement, his affliction with a medical condition, (p 86) "an unusual form of epilepsy, possibly complicated by the effects of absinthe or digitalis poisoning," resulted in occasional bizarre behavior and a reputations as a bit of a mental case: Vincent (p 79) "slashed off his earlobe with a razor" after an altercation with his roommate and friend Paul Gauguin.

The book covers from his birth, to a pastor father and an amateur artist mother; through his various careers, primarily as a missionary and then a painter; to his early death and includes information on his relationships and paintings (including photographs), and geographical locations. Although written at about a fourth grade reading level, Vincent van Gogh, an excellent, chronologically-written biography of a misunderstood man, might better be saved for sixth grade and up due to the sensitive issue of suicide. Also good: The Second Mrs. Giaconda by E.L. Konigsburg (for adults) and Art Songs: Ten Songs about Artists by Agnes and Aubrey (kids music CD).

Letters from Vincent to his brother and patron
Vincent Van Gogh only painted for ten years of his life but his paintings are still compelling to modern audiences. This biography of the painter is directed to ages 10 and older and provides a discussion of not only his works, but why he went mad and why he cut off his ear. Letters from Vincent to his brother and patron explore his behaviors and thinking. ... Read more

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Discusses the life, art, and legacy of the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. Includes a timeline linking the events in his life with world events. ... Read more

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Briefly examines the life of the renowned Dutch painter and traces the development of his art. ... Read more

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Letters to an Artist From Vincent van Gogh to Anton Ridder van Rappard 1881-1885 Translated from the Dutch by Rela van Messel With an Introduction by Walter Pach Published by the Viking Press, New York 1936 FIRST PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 1936 COPYRIGHT 1936 BY THE VIKING PRESS, INC, PRINTED IN U. S. A. BY THE HADDON CRAFTSMEN AQXJATONE ILLUSTRATIONS BY EDWARD STERN COMPANY DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS BOOK, INCLUDING THE FACSIMILE LETTERS AND DRAWINGS, MAY BE REPRO DUCED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PUBLISHERS. Translators Note In rendering these letters into English I discovered that a strictly literal translation would be confusing, for van Goghs peculiar style, to say nothing of many Dutch expressions, is all but untranslatable. Nevertheless, I have kept as close to the text as possible in order to preserve the distinct flavour and vigorous colour of the letters. Van Goghs handwriting is also unique it is uneven and vari able, now slanting, now perpendicular, sometimes so small that one has to use a magnifying-glass, at other times, especially when he wishes to give extra emphasis to what he says, unusually thick and large. He habitually used different nibs in the same letter, and frequently it looks as if he had dipped them into India ink, thus making the reading of the next page almost impossible, for he wrote on a certain type of thin ruled paper common in Holland. Often van Gogh, after concluding a letter, would go back and make additions in tiny script at the end of paragraphs in order to reinforce a statement or to make clearer what he was afraid he had not expressed well enough. Such additions are to be found in nearly every letter they are typical of him, as are his rugged style and enthusiasm which I have tried to convey. Nothing, however, has been omitted except a few passages of sheer repeti tion and some lists literally, catalogue notes of van Goghs acquisitions for his print collection. As most of the letters are undated, the task of arranging them chronologically was extremely difficult, if not impossible but I feel that the order in which they here appear will at least not in terfere with the readers sense of continuity. A casual conversation about the exhibition of van Goghs works, then current in New York, first revealed to me the ex istence of the contents of this volume. Closer access to the hith erto unpublished letters of the Dutch artist has only increased my belief in their significance, and I am most happy to see them now made available to the public. RELA VAN MESSEL Introduction BY WALTER PACH IT is not unfitting that the first presentation of the letters of Vincent van Gogh composing the present volume should be made on this side of the Atlantic, his hold on the admiration of Americans having proved a strong one from the very first. Any number of our cities have applied for the loan of that great collection of the painters work which is travelling about the country as I write these lines, but circumstances have made it necessary to limit the places for the exhibition to New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland, San Francisco, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto. Even so, with over a hundred thousand visitors in each of the places where the pic tures have been shown so far, it is almost certain that more Americans will have attended the exhibition than have ever gathered before to see the production of a single artist. But American interest in van Gogh is of far earlier date. Well before the Armory Show of 1913 brought to this country a splendid group of his paintings, he was represented in such col lections as those of John Quinn and Katherine S. Dreier in New York, and of Sir William Van Home in Montreal. In 1920 an important showing of his works, from those in the possession of the van Gogh family, was eagerly welcomed in New York... ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Self-Portrait, Portrait Painting, Self-Portraits by Vincent Van Gogh, the Artist in His Museum, Beautiful Agony, Study for a Self-Portrait-triptych, 1985-86, Self-Portrait, Honeysuckle Bower, Camouflage Self-Portrait, Hand With Reflecting Sphere, Self-Portrait With a Friend, Self-Portrait, Self-Portrait in a Striped T-Shirt, Self-Portrait With Seven Fingers, Self-Portrait. Excerpt:URL : beautifulagony.com Beautiful Agony is a paid-subscription erotic website featuring head shots of user-submitted videos showing the participant having orgasms , without providing any visual description of what technique is being used or revealing anything below the neck and upper chest. Both men and women are featured on the site. In 2003 Richard Lawrence and Lauren Olney created the initial video series. In 2004 beautifulagony.com was established as a commercial website. The site is owned and operated by Feck Pty Ltd in Melbourne. The logo of Beautiful Agony is underscored by a quote of the French expression " Facettes de la Petite Mort " (Facets of the Little Death ) due to the facial gestures and sounds that a person makes when experiencing orgasm. Although the majority of clips on the site involve masturbation , a limited number of clips also show participants achieving orgasm through (off-screen) oral sex and, in a few cases, sexual intercourse (although the partner does not appear on camera). Most contributions include a separate short film called a "confession" of the individual discussing their views on sexuality and sharing descriptions of their sexual experiences. The confessions are typically set in a public place with the fully dressed subject responding to questions asked by an off-camera interviewer who often can not be heard. The site also includes a third series of clips categori... ... Read more

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Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Fantin-Latour, Ambrosius Bosschaert, Pierre-Joseph Redouté, Georgia O'keeffe, Wendy Whiteley, Jan Cornelis Hofman, Ellis Rowan, Marianne North, Jo Self, Antoine Berjon, Jan Van Huysum, Mary Moser, Rachel Ruysch, Mary Vaux Walcott, Maria Van Oosterwijk, Şeker Ahmet Paşa, Jacob Van Huysum, Willem Van Aelst, Ruslan Korostenskij, Myrea Pettit, Gertrude Hartland. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: Vincent Willem van Gogh (30 March 1853 29 July 1890) was a Dutch post-Impressionist painter whose work had a far-reaching influence on 20th century art for its vivid colors and emotional impact. He suffered from anxiety and increasingly frequent bouts of mental illness throughout his life, and died largely unknown, at the age of 37, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Little appreciated during his lifetime, his fame grew in the years after his death. Today, he is widely regarded as one of history's greatest painters and an important contributor to the foundations of modern art. Van Gogh did not begin painting until his late twenties, and most of his best-known works were produced during his final two years. He produced more than 2,000 artworks, consisting of around 900 paintings and 1,100 drawings and sketches. Although he was little known during his lifetime, his work was a strong influence on the Modernist art that followed. Today many of his piecesincluding his numerous self portraits, landscapes, portraits and sunflowersare among the world's most recognizable and expensive works of art. Van Gogh spent his early adulthood working for a firm of art dealers and traveled between The Hague, London and Paris, after which he taught in England. An early vocational aspiration was to become a pastor and preach the gospel, and from 1879 he work...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=32603 ... Read more

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Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. ... Read more