Vincent van Gogh: His Life in Art

A magnificently illustrated overview of Van Gogh’s life, legacy, and art, from early drawings through later, iconic paintings

Vincent van Gogh: His Life in Art surveys the artist’s creative evolution across his short but influential career. The narrative begins with Van Gogh’s drawings, which were the foundation of his early practice, and describes how he transitioned into painting by consulting instructional handbooks and copying images. Written by a team of international experts, the book follows his moves from the landscapes and peasant life of his native Holland to Antwerp, Paris, Provence, and finally the countryside north of Paris. In the brilliant light of southern France, he began painting portraits and landscapes while refining his characteristic style of rhythmic brushstrokes and expressive impasto in vivid colors. In addition to the main essay with its overview of Van Gogh’s shifting techniques and artistic concerns, the publication features a pair of essays highlighting two museums with exceptional collections of the artist’s work: the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, and the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo. Beautifully reproduced images showcase approximately 50 outstanding pieces from these and other institutions, from rough drawings to vibrant late-career canvases.

 

David Bomford is chairman of conservation and the Audrey Jones Beck Curator of European Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

 

*Edited by David Bomford; With essays by Nienke Bakker, Renske Suijver, and Renske Cohen Tervaert, and contributions by Helga K. Aurisch, Laura Minton, and Dena M. Woodall