Biographies always strike harder than ordinary stories, and I barely managed to finish this one to the end - Vincent's personality was so striking and tragic that anyone, whether an artist or not, will empathize with his misfortune.
Irving Stone created the novel based on the correspondence between Vincent and his brother Theo (about 700 letters), as well as through stories from contemporaries who had the opportunity to meet him while he was still alive. The story follows Vincent from his youth when he worked as an art dealer, to his preaching in the brutal Belgian mines, until he discovered his passion for painting and wandered in search of landscapes, traveling through the art capitals and encountering other well-known figures of the time, such as Gauguin, Cézanne, Zola...
That passion became his entire world - the craving for life was actually a craving for artistic expression, for improvement, everything else was subordinated to that. His life was worth living as long as he had a passion for painting; without it, it made no sense. He enjoyed the bright colors of nature, as well as watching laborers spending their lives in the field.
“I cannot draw a human figure if I don't know the order of his bones, muscles or tendons. Same is that I cannot draw a human face if I don't know what's going on his mind and heart. In order to paint life one must understand not only anatomy, but what people feel and think about the world they live in. The painter who knows his own craft and nothing else will turn out to be a very superficial artist.”
He had the misfortune of not being valued as a person and a painter; often giving them reason with his impulsive, obsessive nature. And his paintings (it was interesting to search for them through descriptions on Google) were like his character, impulsive, unbalanced, swirling. He didn't want to depict scenes as the eye sees them, but as the heart feels them. The world wasn't ready for him.
I must admit that the book was a slow read, and it took effort to stay with it longer. The writing style is very simplified, the dialogues often dry and, after a while, tiresome. This work needed a bit of magic to be truly majestic. It's a well-told story, but it lacks some essence to amplify it. Vincent was a passionate personality, and that's something that's not sufficiently present in the novel, a novel that begged for more powerful prose and fewer precise, concise expressions. A meticulous saga about a dissolute man.
What fascinated me perhaps more than Vincent's story itself is another character, his brother Theo. Without this wonderful, divine man, the world would never have experienced Vincent's brilliance, nor would the artist have succeeded without his brother's unconditional help. He is Frodo's Sam, always there to make sacrifices, in good and in madness.
In any case, a book worth reading, especially for those who are led by emotions and are interested in artistic realms. Because this may be the best way to get to know the character and work of this timeless, tragic genius, along with all his imperfections. You won't be able to hold back tears because life often isn't fair, but despite that, what truly matters remains to shine like a bright sun across time and space.
4/5 stars
He was a martyr of art, a sensitive figure the world wasn’t ready for at that moment. There’s a nice animated movie about him also, that is Loving Vincent of 2017. I love reading biographies too. I wrote about two of the best I have ever read last year, about two of the greatest artists of the 20th century, check the link here: https://ecency.com/hive-180164/@thereadingman/here-they-are-the-10-f77fe61040ec9
That is an excellent list, I'll be checking out some of the titles! Thank for the suggestions!
You’re welcome, anytime. There’s a new post about books I’m preparing, stay tuned.
I'm not a fan of historical novels because I fear the pacing will be slow and it'd take me forever to finish. However, this is a touching reflection on Vincent van Gogh's life. It sounds like his biography is a powerful journey through passion and tragedy, with Theo's unwavering support adding a deeply moving layer to the story.
It is a slow read, but an interesting one considering how incredible and tragic Vincent's life was.
I read it, a good one. I also liked books by Henri Perruchot, autobiographies of postimpressionists.
Vincent was such a memorable character. I might look for those other books, thanks for the suggestion!
watch the film version starring kirk douglas. I really enjoyed it
Oh I love watching movie adaptations after reading (although they rarely satisfy), I'll check out this one.
its old but enjoyable (imo)
I did not yet read this book and as I read your Article, I find it more interesting to read. I wish I could that kind of book here in our Country.
It was a fun read about one of the most important figures in art history.
Exactly Sir, we can learn the civilization from the Past.
Wow, looks interesting, all about the tragic and passionate essence of Van Gogh's life. Very good review.
Thank you, it's a fascinating story.
I will try to find that kind of book here, and it will be very good to read, It consists of philosophies text.
It was a hard but interesting read, a nice insight into the life of a genius.
Books on biography do well to catch my eye. I'd look out for this one, and I hope I don't have to put it down only a couple pages in.
Van Gogh had a fascinating life so the book was interesting, at least to me.
wow
Biographies don't usually catch my interest because I find it dragging to read slow-paced plots, but upon reading your book review on this one, it somehow sparked interest in me. I know Vincent Van Gogh as a renowned artist, but I wasn't aware that his works were undervalued during his time.
He's just in the wrong era, I guess. Maybe people in his era see art as a way to exactly imitate life, whereas it's much more than that. It's really a pity that people in his era failed to see the beauty of his artwork.