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Title details for Van Gogh by Steven Naifeh - Available

Van Gogh

The Life

by Steven Naifeh
Gregory White Smith
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
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, compelling, 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 While drawing liberally from the artist's famously eloquent letters, they have also delved into hundreds of unpublished family correspondences, illuminating with poignancy the wanderings of Van Gogh's troubled, restless soul.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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 28, 2019

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781977391315
      • File size: 1293804 KB
      • Duration: 44:55:25

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The tumultuous life of artist Vincent Van Gogh is made easy to listen to by the pleasant voice of narrator Paul Heitsch. While exhaustively researched and incredibly detailed, the biography flows like a story. Beginning with childhood and progressing through Van Gogh's every obsessive attempt to find his true passion, Heitsch's calm and steady pacing provides empathy for this disturbed genius and his long-suffering family. Heitsch's carefully placed emphasis on the many quotes from Van Gogh's extensive letters to his family, especially brother Theo, serve to enhance the text. He does a commendable job with the frequent Dutch and French words and phrases, and, thankfully, uses the familiar pronunciation of "Van Go." This is a definitive biography and an engaging listen. J.E.S. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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