cover image Theo: The Other Van Gogh

Theo: The Other Van Gogh

Marie-Angelique Ozanne, Frederique de Jode. Vendome Press, $24.95 (240pp) ISBN 978-0-86565-236-1

In this readable and engaging biography, authors Ozanne and De Jode examine the complicated, passionate relationship between the Van Gogh brothers and pose the question: could Vincent have become the Van Gogh without his brother's financial aid and emotional support? The book follows the lesser-known Theo from his sheltered, bucolic childhood to his immense but wearying success as an art dealer in bohemian Paris, where he befriended and patronized such avant-garde legends as Toulouse-Lautrec and Gauguin. Until his death at the age of 33, only six months after his brother's tragic suicide, he remained Vincent's chief financier, closest confidante and staunchest ally. Without losing their focus on Theo, the authors provide an intimate look into this unique fraternal bond and offer remarkable insight into Vincent's troubled life. Readers may resent the authors' excessive summaries of correspondence between the brothers and wish for more of the real thing. However, the book effectively captures the affections, jealousies and conflicts of this remarkable pair, and is an intriguing read for any Van Gogh aficionado.