In Search of van Gogh: Capturing the Life of the Artist Through Photographs and Paintings

Art historian Fossi (Art in Florence) and photographers De Marco and Dondero trace how Vincent van Gogh’s travels inspired his art in this perceptive, richly illustrated work. Fossi maps out van Gogh’s life in chronological order, weaving together letters, paintings, and images, along with contemporary photographs from De Marco and Dondero, who set out on a trip across Europe to photograph the geography and places that inspired his works. In doing so, van Gogh emerges as an irrepressible man “whose wild and restless wandering... propelled him to the forefront of Western art.” Born in 1853, van Gogh learned to draw in his hometown in Zundert in the Netherlands before moving to Ramsgate, England, where he found inspiration in the town’s houses, rendered in a yellow hue that struck him as “both physical and psychological.” After failing at teaching and the ministry, van Gogh committed to art, moving to Paris in 1886 to live with his brother Theo and finding edification in his friendships with post-impressionists including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. His move to Provence deepened his obsession with nature and color, even as his “ruthless introspection” overwhelmed him and inspired his most iconic work, The Starry Night (1889). Insightful and illuminating, this poetic work will entrance historians, artists, and art lovers. (Aug.)