Product Description
How well he has understood the exquisite nature of flowers!
--Octave Mirbeau (1848-1917), French art critic and the first owner of Irises

Vincent van Gogh painted Irises in the last year of his life, in the garden of the asylum at Saint-Rémy, where he was recuperating from an attack of mental illness. Although he considered the painting more a study than a finished picture, his brother Theo submitted it to the Salon des Indépendants in September 1889. Its energy and theme--the regenerative powers of the earth--express the artist's deeply held belief in the divinity of art and nature.
This groundbreaking book fills a gap in Van Gogh scholarship with an in-depth study of Irises--among the J. Paul Getty Museum's most famous paintings--placed in the context of his glorious flower and garden paintings. Full-color reproductions include not only Irises, but also a panoply of nature paintings from collections around the world, by Van Gogh and the artists who inspired him, such as Albrecht Dürer, Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, and Paul Gauguin. ... Read more

Product Description
This exciting new art series combines the most popular artists with expert text and a fresh, unique, format destined to appeal to children and adults alike. Each of the Rizzoli Quadrifolios features sixteen foldout pages that open into huge poster-sized reproductions of the work, allowing readers to feel as though they have leaped into work itself. The series begins with two artists whose work continually compels audiences: Michelangelo and Van Gogh. Vincent Van Gogh features a variety of the best-known paintings by the Dutch artist, whose work continually breaks records at auctions. A tour of Van Gogh's portraits will travel to major American museums throughout 200 and 2001.
Amazon.com Review
No other painter better embodies the idea of the tortured artist than Vincent van Gogh. Modern-art historian Meyer Schapiro recognizes this when he states that "what is most important is that van Gogh converted all this aspiration and anguish into his art, which thus became the first example of a truly personal art, art as a deeply lived means of spiritual deliverance or transformation of the self...." What naturally follows from Schapiro is not only a synopsis of van Gogh's artistic career and personal travails, but also an insightful analysis of van Gogh's technique and handling of paint, and how they manipulate the viewer's emotional response to his paintings. With a sympathetic yet penetrating essay by Schapiro, this book is a pleasure to read for van Gogh enthusiasts of any level. The more expert art historian might prefer van Gogh's drawings, of which approximately 20 are reproduced here in black and white. It is for his paintings, however, that one admires van Gogh, and this book's 49 full-page color plates with accompanying comments by Schapiro are its strength. Van Gogh contains works from no less than 30 different worldwide collections to better represent all phases of the artist's development, and includes his most famous and best-loved works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

I never saw the book.
I bought a book from Vika. It is on my order list for delivery, but Vika decided not to send it to me. Can the seller do that?

Wonderful
This is a wonderful collection of Van Gogh -- they fold out.At this price, it's a great purchase, not to mention a first-rate gift idea.

Beautiful images heightened by unusual binding
This unusual book was quite a find.It was made using a binding process I've never seen before.The pages actually unfold in a variety of ways to present images of Van Gogh's best loved paintings in a highly effective manner.Some pages fold out horizontally and present four works side-by-side, others fold out twice forming small posters.The quality of the graphics is excellent--especially the minute details shown in some of the enlarged reproductions.A beautiful volume and an asset to anyone who loves art. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A great story that's very hard to follow
I found the book extremely hard to follow for a couple of reasons.First is the type font and the layout.The book seems to have been condensed to save space for some unknown reason.The font is extremely small, letters are compressed together and the spaces are extremely tight within a paragraph which will make your eyes strain to read and ultimatley will give you a headache.Second and most important, the book was translated from French to English and the translation is difficult to comprehend at times causing to re-read what you have just read.It reads like someone who is learing English and writing for the first time and the sentence structure is baffling through out most the read.You will have to do your own interpretations of what is attempted to be said.I haven't even made it through two chapters yet I am already frustrated trying to get into this stroy.Having been written in 1931 also doesn't help matters since it seems wtiting styles were very different back then just adds to the difficulty in reading this book.But, I will continue on hoping that I can learn more about the life of Van Gogh which is why is bought this book in the first place.

Wonderful Biography
I just finished this excellent biography this afternoon. After reading Stone's Lust for Life, I was curious to read a regular biography about Van Gogh. This is not exactly a "regular" biography, but I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless. Meier-Graefe blurs the line between historical fiction and biographical nonfiction. The result is really fantastic. I felt like I got a sense of Van Gogh's tortured soul, his complex relationships (with his brother, with Gauguin..), and how it all worked together to create his art. ... Read more

Product Description
Explore Vincent van Gogh's life and art, and the influences that shaped his work.

Discover the tragic genius of Vincent van Gogh with this beautiful and highly informative guide, which tells the fascinating story of his life and work. Superb specially commissioned photographs show the methods and materials van Gogh used to create his masterpieces, while art expert Bruce Bernard offers a rare "eyewitness" view into the painter's distinctive canvases, and the complex character behind them. See van Gogh's striking use of color and texture, the originality and expressiveness of his techniques, the masters that inspired him, and the work he produced during his madness. Learn of young Vincent's painful unrequited love, how poverty and illness added to his despair, how we won Monet's praise and influenced Toulouse-Lautrec, and about van Gogh's interest in Japan. Discover the astonishing speed at which van Gogh painted, the crisis that caused him to cut off part of his ear, his friendships with other artists, including Paul Gauguin, and much, much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Van Gogh
Eyewitness Books are filled with wonderful photographs and pictures.They tell great stories and information about a wide number of nonfiction topics.This book is about Vincent Van Gogh.It covers his life and works right up to his death.The book is written for grades 5 and up.I use them for a teaching tool for ESOL students in a middle school setting.The reading can be tough but great for the more advanced kids.The photographs and pictures help a lot in bringing an understanding about a topic to a student who doesn't understand much English.My homeroom kids love these books too.I highly recommend them to teachers and parents alike.

Pleasing to the eye
This is an easy to read, summary of his life, with nice pictures and information.

WELL WRITTEN & ILLUSTRATED PLUS SUCCINCT INFO! FOR AGE 9-99!
First of all I must say anything DK Publishing touches turns to gold; and the same goes double to infinity for Vincent. You would not believe the information packed into this 64 page carry anywhere book full of photographs of family and places he lived, amazing sketches, personal belongings, influences, quotes, and over 70 of his most popular and beautiful paintings and so much more! This is for everyone! It does not include "Starry Night" however.

Here are the contents: 1YOUTH AND FAMILY2LIFE IN ENGLAND3PREACHING AND POVERTY 4THE IMAGE OF THE SOWER 5ETTEN AND THE HAGUE 6PEASANTS AT WORK 7A LOVE OF NATURE 8A MATTER OF FAITH 9A PEASANT MEAL 10ARRIVAL IN ANTWERP 11THE ANTWERP ACADEMY 12A PARISIAN EXPERIENCE 13IMAGES OF PARIS 14THE IMPRESSIONISTS 15NEW APPROACHES 16JAPANESE INFLUENCES 17SUNFLOWERS 18A STUDY IN YELLOW 19THE LURE OF THE SOUTH 20VAN GOGH AND GAUGUIN 21A HEROIC SELF PORTRAIT 22THE AFFLICTED ARTIST 23NATURAL STUDIES 24COPIES 25PROVENCAL LANDSCAPE 26AN ERRATIC RECOVERY 27A RETURN TO THE NORTH 28THE FINAL ACT 29KEY DATES/ VAN GOGH COLLECTIONS 30GLOSSARY/ WORKS ON EXHIBIT 31INDEX/ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

What makes this book so enjoyable is that it has it all. Most books I've seen on Vincent are either loaded with art but the book layout is impossible to read due to lack of organization; or the opposite--books with tons of information but nothing but black and white thumbnail sketches. This book is a gem; extremely colorful plus has some black and white-- but each and every page is fully organized and beautiful to read and look at. Bruce Bernard, you have got to be the most organized man in the universe! WOW!

A must own for anyone and everyone! Especially the beginner to intermediate van Gogh enthusiast, however; the personal belongings, photographs, quotes and succinctness of this book would be well appreciated by the most acumen of Vincent's studiers/admirers.

P.S. I highly recommend this book and any other of the series of Eyewitness books that strike your fancy. I also own book #25 Crystal and Gems. There are 110 different books from everything to Music, Fossils, Reptiles, Invention, Weather, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, Bible Lands, Volcano and Earthquake, Shark; Aztec, Inca and Maya; Castle, Pyramid, Ancient China, Archeology, North American Indian, Ocean, Battle, Witches and Magic-Makers, Space Exploration, Crime Detection, Force and Motion, Chemistry, Time and Space, Astronomy, Earth, Human Body, Medicine, Technology, Electronics, Renaissance, Impressionism, Goya, Manet, Monet, Leonardo & his times, Future, Mythology, Titanic, Football, Hurricane & Tornado, Presidents, Baseball....on and on! Oh I've got to buy a few more I see!

Good things come in small packages
For a smaller book designed to give a high level overview of Van Gogh's life and career as an artist, this book is surprisingly informative and well written. Van Gogh's life is covered in a well researched commentaryand there are also sub-sections devoted specifically to"Masterpieces".The graphics are excellent and the analysisclear and concise. In terms of a good, brief overview of Vincent van Gogh,this book is first rate. ... Read more

Product Description
These attractive, affordable and adorable miniature versions of popular Prestel titles for point-of-sale and counter-top displays make perfect gifts. "The Minis" are packed with colour and small enough to fit into any pocket. They are as easy on the eye as they are on the wallet and there are titles to suit every occasion, taste and interest. Like all of Prestel's products, these "Minis" feature splendid reproductions of amazing artwork of all kinds, elegantly designed and packaged. Whether for a birthday, an anniversary or just as a surprise, these miniature treasures prove that little things mean a lot. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Walking With Vincent and Theo
I must say, I found this book totally by accident at the Strand in NYC and it was so big, I had to have it shipped home.I am so grateful to the gods who led me to this masterpiece of a book.I had read other biographies on Vincent van Gogh, but Jan Hulsker is where every person interested in Vincent's art, life and his brother should begin.I felt like I was walking with Vincent and Theo through every day of their lives, understanding all the joys and pain, the disappointments and elation.Dr. Hulsker is THE authority on all things van Gogh and for every question you've ever had or happening you've wondered about, he has the answer... here in this thorough and easy-to-read book.He corrects us on every myth and misconception and breaks us of old habits we've all probably developed when thinking of van Gogh.Most important of all: Dr. Hulsker understood that Vincent and Theo were one person - without Theo there was no Vincent and without Vincent there was no Theo.I'd recommend following this book with the letters of Theo and Jo van Gogh-Bonger.

The Best
This is probably the best biography of both Theo and Vincent Van Gogh ever written! It is very informative and has been extremely useful in my report on Van Gogh: The Artist. I'd recommend it to anyone needing extensiveinformation on Vincent Van Gogh ... Read more

Product Description
A wall calendar. ... Read more

Product Description
The poverty, the mental illness, the troubled friendships, the scant acclaim he received while living... The tragic life story of Vincent van Gogh is well-known. Especially considering his enormous posthumous fame and influence, Van Gogh has in many ways shaped today's notion of the "troubled artist." It makes one wonder if his brilliant work isnt still somewhat underappreciated. Vincent van Gogh fans are sure to enjoy the collection of timeless paintings in this delightful wall calendar. ... Read more

Product Description
The brilliantly colored paintings of Vincent van Gogh(1853-1890) are loved around the world. This stunning volume accompaniesthe largest exhibition of the artist's works outside the Netherlands inmore than 25 years. The show opens at the National Gallery of Art,Washington, D.C., in October 1998 and at the Los Angeles County Museum ofArt in January 1999.

This unique group of paintings is from the extraordinary collection of theVan Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, home to the single greatest assemblage of theartist's paintings, drawings, and letters. The collection is based onworks acquired directly from the artist by his brother Theo, an art dealerand the source of Vincent's financial and emotional support. Among themuseum's treasures reproduced here are some of the best-known images inart: Potato Eaters, The Bedroom, Self-Portrait as an Artist, Harvest, andWheatfield with Crows.

Richard Kendall's essay addresses Van Gogh's major themes and thedifferent phases of his career. John Leighton contributes a history of theVan Gogh Museum and a biography of the artist.

Richard Kendall is an independent scholar.

John Leighton is director of the Van Gogh MuseumAmazon.com Review
This lavish but manageable book is the catalog for one of themost successful van Gogh exhibitions ever (at the National Gallery ofArt in Washington, D.C., through January 3, 1999, and the Los AngelesCounty Museum of Art from January 17, 1999, to April 4, 1999). Judgingfrom the haunting, beautifully reproduced paintings and drawings inthe book--which range from the iconic to the rarely seen--it is easyto see why hordes of people keep pressing through overcrowdedgalleries to get a glimpse of the originals. The ones here are allfrom the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, where most of Vincent's workresides.

Author Richard Kendall does a heroic job of writing van Gogh'stortured story one more time. Few artists have analyzed their own workwith the clarity and insight Vincent brought to his. And Kendallrelies heavily on Vincent's letters to his brother Theo, giving thereader broad access to the ultimate expert, the painter himself. Thewealth of color plates is intoxicating--70 paintings, including ThePotato Eaters and other early, gloomy works, a dozenself-portraits, Almond Blossom, Wheatfield with Crows,Butterflies and Poppies, The Bedroom, The Zouave,and The Courtesan (van Gogh's take on a Japanese geisha in fullregalia).

It seems trivial to further praise the book's designers for holding itto only 150 pages, but the length makes an important difference. Thisis a volume that fits comfortably on the lap, to be perused andenjoyed at close range, for hours if you want, and not just displayedin unwieldy glory on a coffee table. --Peggy Moorman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

coffee table book, plus
I am a Van Gough fan. This book is the right combination of images and story to entertain and educate...and it's pretty.

the most original artist of his time
Vincent van Gogh is the artist who I feel I relate to most on a personal level. His demons are my demons. His yearning to some day find "the right girl" is my yearning. His spiritual faith in God is my spiritual faith. His weaknesses are my weaknesses. His strengths are my strengths. I'm very fond of van Gogh. He made many mistakes, including getting involved in a doomed love affair with a prostitute, or how he cut off his earlobe in a fit of anguish. Well, okay, I identify with him but that's something I've never been tempted to do haha. Vincent was a troubled and tormented and deeply under-appreciated artist in his day, only managing to sell one or two paintings in his life. Now he is among the very most popular. His works sell for many millions, even minor works.

David Rehak
author of "Love and Madness"

A GREAT JOURNEY WITH VAN GOGH
One of the best pieces that I ever read explaining paintings along the different periods which were passed by Van Gogh. Also, it gives a complete ride through his life and personality.

A Quality Work!!
I have this book and I am so glad ,I discovered it. I am, a painter,andhave always been influenced by Van Goghs work. However most of the books Iown do not have very good quality , printing .This book however isexcellent! It is very close to , standing in front of the originalpainting. I would recomend this book to anyone that loves Van Gogh. I am soproud to make this book a part of my art library. Get it while you can!!

Didn't see the exhibit?Read the book!
The next best thing if you weren't able to make it to this record-breaking exhibition in Washington and Los Angeles. This book, an overview of the exhibition, is an extremely thorough and interesting overview of the 70works on display. But it's more than that. I was very impressed withRichard Kendall's commentary in the book. Not only is this a comprehensiveand thoughtful look at the "Van Gogh's Van Goghs" exhibition,it's also an excellent look at Van Gogh's life and career--period. I mighthave expected this--this major exhibition was superb and this catalogue isa worthy companion. Exhibition or not, this book is first-rate. ... Read more

Product Description
Vincent van Gogh is best known for two things - his sunflowers and his ear-cutting. But there are many other ways of knowing this remarkable son of a Dutch pastor, who left his chill homeland for the sunshine of Arles in the South of France; and left us over a thousand frank letters of struggle and joy, to help us glimpse his inner world.Vincent came late to painting after spending time in London trying to be a Christian missionary. And though he is now amongst the most famous artists on earth, in his day, no one saw him coming - apart from one French art critic called Aurier. It is possible he never sold one of his paintings in his life time.When he discovered the sun in Arles, he also discovered energy. Yellow for him was the colour of hope, and in his last two years he painted almost a canvass a day. But hope ran out on July 27th , 1890 when he shot himself, aged 37. He was at this time six months out of a mental institution, where perhaps he experienced his greatest calm. Vincent compared himself to a stunted plant; damaged by the emotional frost of his childhood. 'Conversations with Van Gogh' is an imagined conversation with this remarkable figure.But while the conversation is imagined, Van Gogh's words are not; they are all authentically his. "Speaking with Vincent - which he insists on being called - was a privilege,' says Simon Parke. 'He's endlessly fascinating, contradictory, moving, funny, insightful and tragic. There's a fury in him; but also a great kindness. He found harmony in human relationships elusive; his love life was a painful shambles. But with colour, he was a harmonic genius, and he has much to say about this. And here's the thing: for a man who killed himself - he died in the arms of his brother on July 29th - spending time with him was never anything but life-affirming.' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A gem of a book
I loved this book.

Simon Parke manages the impossible here - in one slim volume, the figure of van Gogh in all its messy, glorious humanity comes alive.

While Parke stands back, asks intelligent and sensitive questions, offers an occasional wry comment, and simply listens, the painter speaks about his family, art, beauty, love, suffering, God - in short, anything and everything that matters in life.

The story is both heartbreaking and inspiring, in equal measures.But even if you thought that you knew the story, it's the man behind the myth that we get to know and love.

It left me greedy for more and I wanted to be reckless enough to buy the new Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh (Thames & Hudson, in 6vol), but at £395, common restraint prevailed.

Buy this instead, it's a little gem!

An unexpected insight
I read this book, by chance, shortly before seeing the Van Gogh & his letters exhibition in London. Completely fascinating. I've read plenty of biographies about Vincent, but 'hearing' his own words from his letters and diaries gave me a quite different picture and explained his personal world much more clearly.

Van Gogh as the afflicted genius is an easy cliché, but this really exposes his love of nature and the self-doubt which drove him to experiment further and further with the chromaticism which helped him capture his environment. An unusual book and an unusual insight.

The man behind the paintings
I've always been a big fan of Van Gogh's paintings but after going to the recent exhibition in London, that featured many of his letters, I wanted to find out more about his words. Luckily I came across this wonderful book that not only features his letters but builds upon their contents in an honest and thought provoking way. Simon Parke has really managed to bring Vincent to life and shines a light on the complexities of a brilliant mind. The book warms the heart and challenges the brain and I would recommend this book not only to fans of Vincent who want to know more, but to those who are interested in delving into the human condition as a whole. ... Read more

Product Description
The Art for Young People Series is a wonderful way forchildren to get to know the people behind the paintings. Throughcolorful narrative, pictures, maps, photos, and more, kids willdiscover that art is an exciting and interesting way to explore theworld.

Bold strokes and colors swirling off the page distinguish the style ofVincent Van Gogh. He was a passionate and tormented man, a fact thatis reflected in his paintings. Follow the painter through the rollercoaster of his life, and watch his paintings change with his state ofmind. Meet Van Gogh's beloved brother, Theo, and his good friends andfellow artists Paul Gaugin, Emile Bernard, and Toulouse-Lautrec.Visit Arles in the south of France, where Van Gogh lived andworked. It was there that he grew lonely and depressed, eventuallybecoming mentally ill. As his mind began to weaken, his paintingsbecame more distorted. In a way, they are a window onto what Van Goghwas seeing in his mind's eye. While he was living, he never sold asingle painting. Today Van Gogh is known as one of the greatestartists of all time. Enjoy his story through entertaining narrative,colorful pictures and photos, illustrations, maps, and more. ... Read more

Product Description
Discusses the life, art, and legacy of the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. Includes a timeline linking the events in his life with world events. ... Read more

Product Description
Vincent van Gogh: The Painter and the Portrait, produced in conjunction with the international loan exhibition Van Gogh: Face to Face, explores the artist's changing conception of the portrait from his first experiments with drawing character studies around 1880 to his astonishing explorations of expressive color at the end of the decade. Illustrated with more than 50 color plates, the text incorporates selections from van Gogh's extraordinary letters, bringing the artist's singular vision of portraiture to life. This beautiful collection features portraits of the artist, his friends, neighbors, family, and other figures from his daily life offering the reader an opportunity to see inside van Gogh's world, so passionately evoked in his canvases. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Explores the artist's changing view
Vincent Van Gogh: Painter & Portrait accompanies the international loan exhibition and explores the artist's changing view of how the portrait was produced. From his first experiments with character studies around 1880 to his transition to new media and representations, this includes pieces from the artist's letters to provide a fine portrait of Van Gogh's perspective.

Vincent van Gogh...G.T. Shckelford.Universe (small edition
The eight by seven and a half format makes it easy to carry around and digest, but tasty enough to encourage the reader to look up more of Van Gogh's letters than those quoted, and references to other paintings.The overview of his Van Gogh's life emphasizes his intellect and relationship with other art lovers rather than illness and matters of the heart.What I love about this book are the close-up reproductions that clearly show details, like how Van Gogh painted the eye, sometimes very photographically, other times as a single stroke.A series of portraits like those of Postman Roulin illuminate the intensity of van Gogh's passion to conquer composition and color.Both words and pictures offer surprises for even those familiar with van Gogh's life and work. ... Read more

Product Description
Big art for little hands, these enchanting activity books allow young artists to explore the world's masterpieces on their own terms and with plenty of space to colour outside the lines. ... Read more

Product Description
Discover how artists work and share ideas

Living alone in the south of France, Vincent van Gogh missed the company of other painters. Hoping to attract artists to Arles, where he was staying, van Gogh invited Paul Gauguin to come live with him in his Yellow House. For two months, in the fall of 1888, the two men painted side by side.

However, the artists set about their work in very different ways. Vincent painted what he saw around him; Paul painted from his memory and imagination. Vincent painted quickly, while Paul often worked on canvases over a period of time.

The Yellow House, published in association with the Art Institute of Chicago, is a thought-provoking story about how artists generate and share ideas and how they work. Along with reproductions of actual paintings by van Gogh and Gauguin, the rich and lively illustrations by Jos. A. Smith bring to life the history of two artists at work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great except for potentially scary or inappropriate content
This is a picture book format story for children aged 4-8, about the time period when Paul Gaugin lived with Vincent van Gogh in Arles, France. Bright and lovely illustrations by Jos. A. Smith and reproductions of van Gogh and Gaugin's works comprise the illustrations. There is not much coverage of the impressionists in general. If this is read as a first exposure to van Gogh, Gaugin, or impressionism, the child will be confused or not understanding. I feel this is a great accompaniment after the child knows something about the Impressionist movement, van Gogh, and Gaugin. The bright and lively illustrations really make this a special book.

The story covers the time when van Gogh invited Gaugin to visit through their visit and then ending with a description of their pen pal relationship after Gaugin left Arles. The story explains the different painting methods they used, even when painting the same subject at the same time. The author explains their use of their favorite colors for backgrounds is shown and how van Gogh preferred to paint exactly what he saw while Gaugin preferred to paint from his imagination or from the content of his dreams.

Their explosive relationship is discussed, including a fight that culminated in van Gogh cutting off part of his ear, which was the last straw for Gaugin, resulting in Gaugin's departure. Depending on the sensitivity of the child, learning of this event this could be disturbing. At the back of the book is a one-page biography of each artist. I am not sure if this part was intended to be read to the child; within the van Gogh bio, it is explained that van Gogh suffered from strange moods since boyhood, then goes on to say that after the ear-cutting episode the townspeople "demanded he be locked up in a mental hospital" and goes on to say he did end up in a mental asylum. Whether you want to read this to your young child is up to you. I take issue with the idea of telling young children that townspeople can call for someone to be locked up and then knowing it came to fruition! There is also the question of how much information you want your young child to know, or how much can they understand, about depression, mental illness and the mental asylums of the 1800s. I am not calling for censorship or shaming of depression or mental illnesses, but I have issues with as to the appropriate age to venture into a discussion of mental illness, depression and self-mutilation. Other van Gogh biographies for children aged 4-8 have not included information about the ear-cutting or about the mental asylum visit, although adults seem to always be interested in this part of van Gogh's life.

If the book did not contain the ear-cutting incident in the main body of the story I'd rate this 5 stars; I'll rate it 4 stars due to the content potentially being disturbing for children aged 4-8 which the publisher states this is appropriate for.

Meet Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin
During the fall of 1888, Vincent Van Gogh invited Paul Gauguin to come live and paint with him in the Yellow House in the south of France."...he missed the company of other people, especially artists who could discuss painting.He hoped that warm, sunny Arles would attract fellow painters to join him.Together they would form a kind of family of artists, a Studio of the South."Van Gogh and Gauguin were very different in both temperment and style.Van Gogh worked quickly, painting "exactly what he saw with his own eyes", and often completed a painting in just one sitting.He "liked to load his brush with lots of paint and put it on the canvas in dots and dashes...Thick swirls of strong colors expressed his feelings-his love of nature, his joy in painting."Gauguin worked very differently.He painted more slowly, blending his paints on a palette, and spreading the colors "smoothly in careful shapes."He "painted pictures from his imagination-feelings, fantasies, and dreams."Together they worked side by side for two months, discussing art and techniques, and learning much from each other.And even after Gauguin left Arles, they continued to encourage each other through their letters.....Based on actual events, Susan Goldman Rubin has written an elegant and compelling story about the relationship between these two great artists.Her eloquent text is straightforward and informative.But it's Jos. A. Smith's artwork that really makes this book stand out.His evocative illustrations dazzle as they compare and contrast Van Gogh's and Gauguin's styles, techniques, and use of color, and include reproductions of some of the paintings created during that two month period.With biographies at the end to fill in details about both painter's lives and work, The Yellow House is an engaging, fact filled introduction, rich in history and drama, that is sure to intrigue young art lovers 5-10, and send them out looking for more

For inquisitive and artistic young minds
The Yellow House: Vincent van Gogh & Paul Gauguin Side By Side is a children's color picturebook about the how two legendary artists, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, lived together in a Yellow House the south of France in 1888, and shared ideas about their painting. Yet they set about their artwork in very different ways; for example, Vincent painted what he saw while Paul painted from his memory and imagination. The Yellow House is not only an enjoyable story, but also an excellent introduction to the world of art for young readers. The vibrant color artwork strives to emulate a spark of the creative genius that van Gogh and Gauguin themselves poured into their life's work. The last two pages of The Yellow House consist of short biographies of the famous artists. An ideal gift book selection, The Yellow House is highly recommended gift book for inquisitive and artistic young minds.

LESSONS IN ART AND AMIABLENESS
What a wonderful way to teach children about art!And, not only are young readers introduced to two of the most colorful and compelling artists, but they also garner lessons in learning from one another and getting along with others.

Published in association with the Art Institute of Chicago this keepsake volume includes fine quality reproductions of paintings by van Gogh and Gauguin, as well as a brief but instructive biography of each painter.

During the autumn of 1888 these two mercurial artists shared a home in the south of France.Lonely and wanting the company of other painters van Gogh invited Gauguin to share his home in Arles.For some two months the men worked in close proximity to one another.

Disagree? Of course, they.did.In addition to technique and style they probably argued about a number of things.One thing they did agree on was that they could learn from each other.

Regrettably at that time van Gogh was on the brink of his nervous breakdown, and when that occurred Gauguin fled to Paris.

Yet, in many ways their time together was productive and memorable for both artists."The Yellow House" will surely live in the minds of many young readers! ... Read more

Product Description
When Van Gogh first visited Arles in Provence, he was stunned by the light, the landscape and the myriad shades of colour. He returned later and remained there until his death. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Violent van Gogh
I found this book very appealing.It touched on both his art and his emotional side. This might of been the happiest time of his life and it was all to breif.I tottaly recomend this book if you enjoy Vincent's works. ... Read more

Product Description
Vincent van Gogh was a tormented man. From a young age, he was troubled by fits of depression. After a string of unfulfilling jobs and failed relationships, he found that painting would relieve him of his suffering. Even so, he cut off part of his left ear in a fit of rage. While in the hospital, doctors tried to diagnose his melancholy. Once he was released, he continued to paint. In a remarkable career that spanned about a decade, he turned out hundreds of paintings, including at least forty self-portraits. And then, before he was forty years old, he took his own life. Few other artists have been as successful in expressing their feelings as Vincent van Gogh. Dozens of his works are considered masterpieces. Scholars continue to try to diagnose his mental state and wonder at the talent that was lost. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a must for any art student or art lover
I really found this book to be a vauable source of in formation about Van Gogh.So much can be learned about an artist through studying his sketches and drawings. Its a very beautiful book and a perfect addition to an artenthusiast's collection. This book offered much more than the traditioalVan Gogh collections. Unlike the majority of Van Gogh books, it offeredmore than reprints of only his most famous works. ... Read more