Gregory White SmithResenhas

Based on family letters and documents, lengthy interviews with his widow, Lee Krasner, as well as his psychologists and psychoanalysts, this book explodes the myths surrounding his death in 1956. 12 color and 175 black-and-white photos and reproductions.

Ik ben een liefhebber van het werk van Vincent van Gogh. Daarom verbaasde ik mijzelf dat ik nog steeds De biografie van Steven Naifeh en Gregory White Smith over hem nog niet had gelezen. Dat is bij deze rechtgezet.

Het is een dik boek van 997 pagina’s en de auteurs geven direct al aan dat het materiaal waarover ze beschikten uitputtend is, met name door de talloze brieven die Vincent van Gogh verstuurde en ontving. Ze hebben daarom afgezien van een notenapparaat in het boek want dat zou het nog aanzienlijk dikker hebben gemaakt. De noten zijn te raadplegen op een speciaal ingerichte website die u hier vindt.

Dan de auteurs. Dat zijn Amerikanen en dan doet het wonderlijke feit zich voor dat citaten uit de brieven van Vincent eerst naar het Engels vertaald worden en vervolgens door de Nederlandse vertaler Mario Molegraaf weer terugvertaald zouden moeten worden. Gelukkig is dat niet gebeurd en heeft Molegraaf direct geciteerd uit de brieven van Van Gogh. Dat heeft een zeer leesbaar verhaal opgeleverd.

Een zeer leesbaar verhaal, maar wel met een kanttekening. Dat ligt zeker niet aan de vertaling, niet eens zozeer aan de auteurs als wel aan de hoofdpersoon zelf, Vincent van Gogh. Dat was me nogal een portret zeg. Je zou liefhebbers van zijn werk eigenlijk dit boek moeten ontraden, want de man ging na verloop van tijd aardig op mijn zenuwen werken.

En niet alleen op die van mij. Als kind had hij al last van woedeaanvallen en vertoonde hij tegendraads gedrag. Zijn ouders hadden er aardig wat mee te stellen. Hij was op zichzelf, vaak in de natuur en tekende wel eens wat, maar dat deed iedereen in het gezin. Er was niets te merken van enige bijzondere aanleg op dat vlak.

Met zestien jaar werd hij jongste bediende in de kunsthandel Goupil. Eerst in Den Haag, later in filialen in Brussel en Londen. Zo deed hij kennis op over de kunsthandel. Dat hielp hem weinig verder want hij verstond de kunst om met iedereen overhoop te liggen. Hij lag er al snel uit. Van Gogh wist ook niet echt wat hij wilde en ging van bevlieging naar bevlieging. Even leek de theologie hem wel wat en hij ging naar de Borinage in België om lekenprediker tussen de mijnwerkers te worden. Daar begint hij met zijn eerste kunstzinnige stappen;

‘Ik zou wel graag eens willen beginnen ruwe schetsen van ’t een & ander te maken van zoo talrijke dingen die men zoo op zijn weg ontmoet…maar aangezien (…) het mij al ligt van mijn eigenlijk werk zou afhouden, zoo is het beter dat ik er niet aan begin.’

Aldus schrijft hij aan zijn broer Theo. Die moedigt hem echter aan en ondersteunt hem financieel. Dan volgt een onwaarschijnlijk verhaal van iemand die koppig zijn eigen weg zoekt en waarvan steeds duidelijker wordt dat er bij hem psychisch het één en ander aan schort. In Den Haag woont hij samen met een vrouw en kind maar als hij het ineens in de bol krijgt vertrekt hij naar Drenthe. Hij doet verwoede pogingen om zijn broer Theo, die in Parijs bij de kunsthandel Goupil een prima baan heeft, over te halen bij hem te komen en ook te gaan schilderen.

Het is interessant te lezen hoe hij telkens overtuigd is van weer een ander gelijk. In Drenthe ging hij schilderen en gebruikte weinig kleur in zijn werk;

Luchtig stelde hij vast dat met verf ‘een zomereffekt of onmogelijk of leelijk’ zou worden. Slechts vier jaar voordat hij zijn ezel onder de stralende zon van de Provence zette, veroordeelde hij ieder ‘zomereffekt’ en bevestigde hij nog eens zijn geloof in schaduwen, silhouetten en schemering.

Uiteindelijk gaat hij in Parijs bij zijn broer wonen en volgt er kunstlessen. Hij blijft achter bij zijn medestudenten en lijkt nog steeds geen hoogvlieger. Weer krijgt hij het in zijn bol en zonder uitleg vertrekt hij naar het zuiden en strijkt neer in Arles.

Inmiddels heeft hij een nieuw gelijk gevonden en gebruikt hij wel degelijk kleuren. Daarin houdt hij vol dat zijn nieuwe kunst wel degelijk voortkomt uit zijn donkerder oude kunst. Het is lastig om modellen te vinden voor zijn schilderijen maar Joseph Roulin, ambtenaar bij de posterijen wil wel. Dat is het mooie van deze biografie, je komt heel dicht bij het ontstaan van beroemde werken en de mensen erachter;

Roulin, zevenenveertig, bijna twee meter lang, en een eeuwig dronken blos, kon zo uit een roman van Daudet zijn gestapt. Hij dronk, zong, en oreerde geanimeerd tot de cafés leegliepen, behalve voor Vincent. Die omschreef Roulin…zo: ‘Een kop zoowat als die van Socrates, haast geen neus, een hoog voorhoofd, kale kruin, kleine grijze ogen, hoog gekleurde volle wangen, een grooten baard, peper en zout, groote ooren. De man is een fameus republikein en socialist, redeneert heel goed en weet veel dingen.’

De schilder Gauguin trekt zelfs even bij Vincent in maar u raadt het, ook die gaat weg met gedoe. Van Gogh krijgt vaker last van depressies en waanideeën en snijdt in zo’n aanval zijn oor eraf. Het zorgt ervoor dat hij diverse malen wordt opgenomen in een gesticht. Toch zal hij blijven doorwerken, hij blijft schilderen.

Als het wat beter gaat reist hij naar Parijs, waar zijn broer Theo inmiddels getrouwd is en vader is geworden van een kleine Vincent, die later de grootvader van de vermoorde cineast Theo van Gogh zou worden. Natuurlijk blijft Vincent niet in Parijs, zijn rusteloze zelf voert hem naar Auvers, iets buiten Parijs. Daar wordt hij gepest en getreiterd door de lokale jeugd en op een fatale dag strompelt hij de herberg in waar hij verblijft. Hij heeft een kogelwond.

Hij zou nog dertig uur leven en sterft. Het verhaal is dat hij een zelfmoordpoging heeft gedaan en de auteurs stellen daar in een aparte appendix vraagtekens bij. Zij stellen dat hij per ongeluk neergeschoten is door de lokale jeugd. Daar zijn argumenten voor die uitgebreid worden beschreven, maar de moordtheorie wordt net zo stellig weerlegd zoals in dit artikel.

Het boek heeft twee gezichten wat mij betreft. Ik werd wel eens moe van de zoveelste tirade of smeekbede van Van Gogh, het nam mij niet voor de man in. Je weet bij alles wat hij begint dat het op niets uitloopt. Des te interessanter is het besef dat hij uiteindelijk wel de wereldberoemde kunstenaar is geworden, ondanks zijn schijnbare weinige talent. Des te verbluffender is het om te beseffen dat al die meesterwerken in relatief korte tijd zijn ontstaan. Als we halverwege het boek zijn, hebben we alleen nog een donker werk met een familie die aan de piepers zit.

Ook besef je dat Van Gogh werkelijk ergens aan heeft geleden. Zijn depressies en wanen waren reëel en toch is hij in zichzelf blijven geloven. Hij en zijn broer leden ook aan syfilis en het heeft ervoor gezorgd dat Theo niet lang na Vincent oook vrij beroerd aan zijn einde kwam.

Wat overblijft is toch de fascinatie van de zoektocht van een artiest die uiteindelijk een geheel eigen stijl vindt en zelfs nog iets van zijn bekendheid heeft meegekregen, maar er nooit van heeft kunnen profiteren. Ik moet weer eens naar het Van Gogh museum, waar nu een tentoonstelling te zien is van zijn werk uit Auvers, zo leerde ik van Bettina.

Vertaling: Mario Molegraaf½

By far the saddest biography I have ever read, VAN GOGH is also one of the most stirring and superbly detailed biographies I have ever read. That Vincent van Gogh's life was such a brutally painful and difficult one should not deter readers from embarking on this massive journey, yet the fact that a 951-page book reaches page 750 before the subject has what could genuinely be called a period of happiness is a testament to the skill with which the book is written, for despite the utterly depressing nature of Van Gogh's life, the authors make it a terrifically compelling one to read about. The amount of detail, in no small part but not entirely due to the prodigious correspondence that exists between Vincent and his brother Theo, is as complete as any biography could (or should) aspire to, and by the end of the book, one feels as though as though one has lived alongside Vincent through almost his entire life. The book approaches yet manages to skirt oppressiveness of detail, a superb feat given the consistency of the arc of Van Gogh's tortured life, and while the repetitious nature of Van Gogh's behavior and follies becomes almost as tiresome as it must have for his family, there is nothing in the book that should have been left out. The authors, too, have a splendid sense of art and how Van Gogh's mind was reflected in his art, and all this is described with clarity and, and at the same time, poetry. I wept as I reached the end of Vincent's life, in part because it was such a sad and unhappy life, but also because by the book's end, I felt as though I knew and understood the man behind some of the greatest art in history. Such should be the goal of every biography.

This is a comprehensive and quite lengthy biography of Van Gogh that is imminently readable. I feel like I got a great view into his life and work, including a good section at the end on the mystery of his death. Now I need to take a trip to Amsterdam to visit the Van Gogh Museum.

Way too detailed. A really good editor would have halved the biography.

This is a wonderful non-fiction, account of the ultimate fixer upper. Joye Cottage is a wonderful old mansion in Aiken, South Carolina. Because once in my jaded past (some 10 years before the tale in the book), I lived next door to Joye Cottage, I grabbed the book. But I cringe when I think if I hadn't lived there, I might not have even found this great story. It's like the most clever, long, happy letter from a dear friend.

Well done comprehensive account of the homicides perpetuated upon a 12 year old girl, and her mother's friend and attempt on her mother's life, not for the first time. This attacker was wealthy from a strong family with heavy duty business connections built by his father in at the time oil rich Texas.

House restoration in South Carolina. Been there, done that, but in Charleston and in a 20 room Queen Ann Victorian, not a 60 room mansion built by a robber baron. Still, fun to see Aiken again, from the coziness of my own living room.

At least two people have recommended this book to me, plus I heard the authors on an interview once.

A very comprehensive biography of an intense and passionate man that provides a deep insight into his mind and creative process. A thoroughly researched portrait of Vincent's tragic life. Vincent initially comes off as an arrogant and self-destructive man. But he was as much a victim of the society that rejected him for being different. Vincent would start his career as an art dealer. But he was neither smooth talking nor good with people, which would mean an end to his career as an art dealer. Faced with his failure and rejection from his family, he would try to find solace in religion. But his later foray into a career as a missionary would also end in a similar failure. The intensity and passion that he brought to his attempted career as a missionary or a preacher, and his constant search for meaning would alienate most of his peers.

Faced with his failure in all his career endeavors, and having been rejected and shunned by family and friends and women, his life would soon spiral downward into intense melancholy and guilt that would mark his painting career. Throughout his artistic career, he would search for solace and meaning, often keeping emotional crisis and complete breakdown at bay by his furious dedication to his work and delusions of future success. It is remarkable the amount of intensity with which he worked despite being rejected and ridiculed at every step. His art was his solace and his mode of expression. He puoured his emotional and spiritual feelings into his work. He may not have been a good draftsman but his passion and intensity speaks through his colours.

The authors here also make a good case that the gunshot wound that killed Vincent might infact have been an accident, a result of an altercation rather than suicide.

A remarkable and heartbreaking biography.

"Van Gogh - The Life" by Steven Naifeh and Gergory White Smith has to be one of the most detailed, voluminous and exhausting biographies on the market. I say exhausting because of the repetitive, pages-long analyses of not just van Gogh's paintings, but also his health (mental and physical), his relationships (with family, friends, other artists, strangers) his appearance, his philosophy - or should I say philosophies, since he changed so often in his short, 10 year artistic career - of art and painting. I found myself cursorily skimming over such analytical interludes after the third or fouth round of the same subject or topic in an effort to plow my way to the end of the 879 page tome. And van Gogh lived only to the age of 37!

Yet van Gogh is a mesmerizing figure in art history. And if you want to know in minute detail, with many words spilled on the way, what his life and times were like and how it all fit into the confusing genre history of art in the latter part of the 19th century, this is the book to have in your library.

The black and white illustrations throughout and the color plates of some of van Gogh's work that are provided are very instructive and help develop an understanding of the artistic phases he went through. The genelogical table and maps at the beginning of the book were also very helpful.

Yesterday (March 30, 2016) was van Gogh's 163rd birthday. In a news item remarking on the significance of this day, it was stated that he committed suicide in Arles in southern France. Had the writer of that item consulted our authors' magnum opus, he/she would have learned that his death occurred in Auver, France, twenty miles outside of Paris, and that the question of suicide is still open in the minds of many people. That it was a tragic death, there can be no dispute. He was on the cusp of noteriety, even fame, and the possibility of finally supporting himself. But it is made ever so more tragic by the death of Vincent's younger brother, Theo, just six months later. Theo had supported Vincent financially for most of his adult life (their extensive correspondance is the basis for much of the detail in the book) and at his own death, Theo's insanity was even more pronounced.

"Van Gogh - The LIfe" is not for the reader who is faint of heart. But it is a comprehensive look at a strange and remarkable individual who suffered much but left an undying legacy.

a powerful artist and a very troubled man. this is very good biography. such a destructive man then wanted not to be that way. the marriage to Lee was hell for both of them a hell that they wanted to escape but were unable to do so.

Religion, belief systems, cults, and the soul are always interesting material to read about. What attracts people to a particular belief system which other equally intelligent and educated individuals may revile or despise even though the core of that belief may stem from similar foundations? Most religions, fortunately for their followers, were created before print journalism became commonplace. Newspapers and the printed word preserve the less agreeable aspects belief in magic and the occult (more commonly referred to as miracles) which necessarily form the foundation of all religions. Legends are created which become essential to the belief system of the church. Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith in The Mormon Murders reveal how the fear of discredit led to several bombings and killings in Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake City, by the late seventies, was known as the fraud capital of the United States. The Securities and Exchange Commission called it the "sewer of the securities industry." It ranked third in the nation for business defaults. One enterprising young man sold $613 billion (or nearly 1/2 of the national debt) in fraudulent gold certificates (obviously at way below face value.) He used his Mormon background as authentication. Mormons, believing that God rewards the faithful, are brought up to be particularly trusting and to believe what they are told. Skepticism is frowned upon. It was in this environment of naive trust that Gary Sheets created Consolidated Financial Services, initially, a wildly successful investment corporation.
The police were initially puzzled when Sheets' wife and business partner Steve were killed in separate bomb explosions. Only after a very respected and successful documents dealer named Mark Hofmann was severely injured in another bomb explosion did the pieces begin to fit together. ATF experts discerned almost immediately that Hofmann had to be the mysterious bomber b~cause they realized the bomb had been accidently set off by the bomber as he was arming it; and, the design of the bomb was identical to those which killed Gary Sheets' wife and Steve Christiansen.
The plot began to unravel. Hofmann had been selling forged documents to church officials (including Christiansen, who was a deacon,) that purported to validate all the rumors of scandal surrounding Joseph Smith and the origins of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. The "Salamander Letter" in particular, if legitimate would have been particularly embarrassing to the church. It revealed Smith as a wily con man fascinated by in necromancy, dowsing, and "gold-digging". Hofmann, the investigation disclosed, was an excellent forger who had mastered techniques for aging paper and recreating authentic-looking inks. (The details of research into his forgery techniques by forensic experts is a fascinating story in itself.)
Church officials were in a terrible bind as the story unfolded and did everything possible to prevent the case from coming to trial. Hofmann had made thousands selling the fraudulent documents to the church which then placed them in a vault unavailable for inspection. Hofmann had also persuaded rich Mormons to buy these "anti-Mormon" documents. They would donate them to the church claiming the appropriate tax-deduction. In these instances the church could honestly claim it had not "bought" the documents. The church was in a pickle. If the documents investigators sought as evidence turned out to be authentic it cast grave doubt on the origins of the church; if fraudulent1 church officials needed explain why they were in such a rush to purchase the documents from a con-man. Anyone who doesn't believe how a church can control a city should read this book. Church officials manipulated the trial in many ways to get the result they wanted.

a very informative biography of this artist. vincent was a failure at everything he attempted in his life. it appears that he had a form of epilepsy that affected his brain from normal functioning of course he also had syphilis. the interesting thing was at his first his greatest point of madness, cutting off his ear while living with Gauguin was the time his art became known to the art world. When Gauguin returned to Paris he of course told the story of that night. Gauguin was the raising star of the art world. a young art critic, Albert Aurier, heard the story and he became interested in Van Gogh. He then became his champion. Sad for van gogh it was too late. the book studies not only the creative process of the art world but also the money of that world

Fantastic depth of research and meticulously written, unfortunately not a great read because its so damn depressing, Naifeh certainly accentuates the negatives in Van Gogh's life. Its a somber catalogue of Van Gogh's gradual alienation from his family, society and eventually life itself. Not denying that this certainly happened and his life was an unfolding tragedy, however, I would much rather see Van Gogh celebrated for his genius and his work. There's precious little of that here. My advice to Mr Naifeh and any other would-be biographer of this immortal artist would be "Lighten up, guys"½

An astonishing and redefining portrait of a tormented and brilliant artist. Covers literally everything - family life and troubles, alienating personality, the books and painters he adored, everything.

Van Gogh does not come across as a too sympathetic person - his personality, ingratiating and tempestuous, has driven away all but a few of his most devoted friends and his brother. His early forays with jobs and art education are embarrassing to read. He is fragile, wracked with his desires and the epilepsy and depression which tormented him, but audacious, producing brilliant portraits within days. His output is astonishing. One wonders about the old adages about the costs of genius, and how van Gogh himself says "I put my heart and soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process."

The madness of genius. Despite everything, he is praised and immortalized.

Excellent choice of pictures accompany the text - the color reproductions are excellent, and you can see the clumps of paint from the individual brush strokes.

Eight hundred pages to cover 37 years? You bet!
There was a lot to draw from, since Vincent Van Gogh wrote many many letters, especially to his brother Theo. Inevitably, it becomes the story of both brothers, since they were so important to each other's existence.

I can't imagine Vincent was a man who'd be easy to get along with, what with his constant bridge burning, but I really felt bad for him. Nothing went right for him in his life, and though eventually he was treated for mental illness, there was no true happiness for him, and certainly not the companionship that he so desired. Yet he is now one of the most beloved painters of all time. Every time I go into the Metropolitan Museum of Art, any time of day, the area containing his paintings draws the most people. But what a journey that led to this point!

I most enjoyed reading the sections covering his early years, particularly his time in England, didn't like his Dutch period as much (his relationship with his parents was painful) and of course was most intrigued by his later (French) years.

Around 1984, I read the 3 volumes of Van Gogh's letters. Then, around 1986, I bought Jan Hulskers Complete Paintings of Van Gogh. I re-read the letters while following each letter with the painting that Vincent completed. This was a wonderful experience. I was very aware of the details of Vincent's life. However, Vincent's letters are mostly to his brother Theo and I felt that Vincent was showing his best most industrious side to his brother. Theo supported Vincent with money and courage. Vincent's letters also included some to Emile Bernard which showed another side of Vincent's personality.

I knew there was more to Van Gogh than the letters.This biography, by Naifeh and Smith opens up Vincent's character. There are some very disappointing events in Vincent's life. He was troubled, vitriolic, and a misfit. I have read many artists biographies and I think Vincent lived the most sad and tragic life of any artist I have studied.

Van Gogh: The Life is a miraculous accomplishment and I congratulate the authors on the enormous effort that was expended to complete this book.

An art history classic.

Vincent Van Gogh is one of the Western world's most well-known artists, and works such as Starry Night and The Bedroom are icons of the post-impressionist transition. Equally well-known are the stories about his life and personality, the infamous mutilation of his ear, and his close yet tumultuous relationship with his brother, Theo. Naifeh and Smith's new biography both explores in detail the development of Vincent's art and brings new light to the widely accepted version of Theo's life, which is largely based on Irving Stone's fictionalized biography and subsequent movie, [Lust for Life].

Ten years in the making, Van Gogh: A Life is a masterpiece of meticulous research and detailed writing. The authors had unparalleled access to the archives of the Van Gogh Museum, as well as the Museum's new translation of Van Gogh's letters. The only previous English translation was by Vincent's sister-in-law, who of course had a certain agenda. In addition to authoritative research and documentation (over 5000 pages of notes available at www.vangoghbiography.com), the authors bravely contradict some of the most widely held beliefs about Vincent's life and death. They do so in the full knowledge that there will be controversy, and document their reasoning so that others may follow their line of thought. While paying homage to the scholarship that has come before, they forge ahead into new territory.

The book is divided into three parts: The Early Years (1853-1880), The Dutch Years (1880-1886), and The French Years (1886-1890). I delved into the first part with eager enthusiasm and was not disappointed. Vincent's childhood was scarred by his relationships with his cold, class-conscious mother and his domineering pastor father. People found Vincent odd, unsocial, and erratic even in his youth. Unable to make friends, unsatisfied with any of the schools he attended, Vincent became increasingly cyclical in his emotions: thwarted at some task or project, he would become increasingly angry and arrogant until he failed and then fell into a fit of despair and depression. Then he would latch onto some new, grander project and frenetically try to persuade everyone to his new passion.

I found reading The Dutch Years to be more of a struggle. The pattern of Vincent's emotional life played over and over, even as he moved (or was evicted) from place to place and passion to passion. His relationship with his brother, Theo, had solidified into complete financial dependence and the same cycle of anger, guilt, and passion that dominated his emotional life. His art was stuck in a dark rut, and he continued to refuse to view Impressionist art or explore the ideas of his contemporary artists. For a couple of hundred pages, I despaired of finishing this 900 page tome.

Then I reached The French Years, and my reading picked up pace. Vincent finally moved to Paris to live with his brother, a financial imperative, and for the first time began interacting with the Impressionists and their successors. Key relationships were formed, broken, and reformed, and his art began to show the effects of exposure to new ideas and methods. Then he reached Arles and began to paint in his own impassioned way, expressing his emotions through the wild brush strokes and colors that would eventually make him famous. These last few years were extremely productive, even while he fought ill health and the escalation of his disease (now believed to have been temporal lobe epilepsy). His greatest dream of all, a brotherhood of artists living together at the Yellow House, resulted in a brief co-habitation with Paul Gauguin, and ended in tragedy. The last year of his life was spent in asylums and in and out of lucidity, yet he continued to paint. His work garnered some acclaim at the very end of his life, but he died denying that he was worthy of that praise.

There are many things to praise about this new biography: its detail and authority, the way the authors weave Vincent's own words from his letters into the text, the occasional eye-catching turn of phrase. One thing that I found particularly interesting was the focus on Vincent's expansive reading and how it informed his life and his work. At various times, the following authors played an especially important role in his thinking: George Eliot, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, Guy de Maupassant, and Emile Zola; but he read widely and deeply on many subjects, especially religion and the history of art. He used the books he read as a source of solace, inspiration, support for his arguments, vindication, and self-definition. He even painted books into his art as a way to make a point or convey a message.

Overall, I think Van Gogh: The Life is an important contribution to art scholarship and well worth reading, despite its length and sometimes uneven delivery. It's a book that leaves you wanting to know even more, and I found myself browsing the web for more information on fellow artists, various movements, and especially more examples of Vincent's paintings. Of help to me in this last was a small book of Van Gogh's drawings and paintings entitled [Van Gogh] by Josephine Cutts and James Smith, published by MetroBooks. Arranged somewhat chronologically, it supplemented the plates included in the biography.

Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith galvanized readers with their astonishing Jackson Pollock: An American Saga, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for biography, a book acclaimed for its miraculous research and overwhelming narrative power. Now Naifeh and Smith have written another tour de force—an exquisitely detailed, compellingly readable, and ultimately heartbreaking portrait of creative genius Vincent van Gogh.

Working with the full cooperation of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Naifeh and Smith have accessed a wealth of previously untapped materials. While drawing liberally from the artist’s famously eloquent letters, they have also delved into hundreds of unpublished family correspondences, illuminating with poignancy the wanderings of Van Gogh’s troubled, restless soul. Naifeh and Smith bring a crucial understanding to the larger-than-life mythology of this great artist—his early struggles to find his place in the world; his intense relationship with his brother Theo; his impetus for turning to brush and canvas; and his move to Provence, where in a brief burst of incandescent productivity he painted some of the best-loved works in Western art.

The authors also shed new light on many unexplored aspects of Van Gogh’s inner world: his deep immersion in literature and art; his erratic and tumultuous romantic life; and his bouts of depression and mental illness.

Though countless books have been written about Van Gogh, and though the broad outlines of his tragedy have long inhabited popular culture, no serious, ambitious examination of his life has been attempted in more than seventy years. Naifeh and Smith have re-created Van Gogh’s life with an astounding vividness and psychological acuity that bring a completely new and sympathetic understanding to this unique artistic genius whose signature images of sunflowers and starry nights have won a permanent place in the human imagination.

First published in 1989, this Pulitzer Prize winner and onetime bestseller is the ultimate biography of a famous tortured soul. And it’s a fantastic read, too. Taking what I call “the Michener approach,” the authors leave no stone unturned in their quest to explore and explain Jackson Pollock. They begin with the migrations of his ancestors to the new world, and include the fruits of nine years of research, over 800 interviews and a vast bibliography of other works on the artist, his family, his times, and his fellow artists. Even at 800 pages, not counting another 100 pages of annotations and appendices, I had difficulty putting the thing down. The story is not only a thrilling saga of family and art, and a sad tale of a genius vs. madness, but it’s also a fascinating picture of an American art world finally finding its identity outside the shadow of Europe. Highly recommended.

Totally enjoyable! A delightful combination of restoration tips, history, and humor. A very FUN read!

Hello, Steve and Greg!
When I lived in Manhattan, I transcribed research for this book for them. If you want stories, you'll have to get me tiddly first. Boy, some heavy duty research went into this. I've had carpal tunnel surgery as a result. Lee Krasner died while I was working on this project and Steve told me I was probably the foremost expert on her at that time. I'll put that on my resume. That and a pickled onion ... This is a tome. (Boy, once I learn a bit of html I'm dangerous!) It's not a beach read. A huge amount of effort went into it. Now, if only they'd put as much into How To Make Love To a Woman. Vaseline, boys? Vaseline??!!

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith galvanized readers with their astonishing Jackson Pollock: An American Saga, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for biography, a book acclaimed for its miraculous research and overwhelming narrative power. Now Naifeh and Smith have written another tour de force—an exquisitely detailed, compellingly readable, and ultimately heartbreaking portrait of creative genius Vincent van Gogh.

Working with the full cooperation of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Naifeh and Smith have accessed a wealth of previously untapped materials. While drawing liberally from the artist’s famously eloquent letters, they have also delved into hundreds of unpublished family correspondences, illuminating with poignancy the wanderings of Van Gogh’s troubled, restless soul. Naifeh and Smith bring a crucial understanding to the larger-than-life mythology of this great artist—his early struggles to find his place in the world; his intense relationship with his brother Theo; his impetus for turning to brush and canvas; and his move to Provence, where in a brief burst of incandescent
productivity he painted some of the best-loved works in Western art.

The authors also shed new light on many unexplored aspects of Van Gogh’s inner world: his deep immersion in
literature and art; his erratic and tumultuous romantic life; and his bouts of depression and mental illness. Recommended by Carolyn Stephens

Group M1