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    Van Gogh: The Life
    Van Gogh: The Life
    Van Gogh: The Life
    Audiobook44 hours

    Van Gogh: The Life

    Written by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith

    Narrated by Paul Heitsch

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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 While drawing liberally from the artist's famously eloquent letters, they have also delved into hundreds of unpublished family correspondences, illuminating with poignancy the wanderings of Van Gogh's troubled, restless soul.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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateMay 28, 2019
    ISBN9781977381316
    Van Gogh: The Life
    Author

    Steven Naifeh

    STEVEN NAIFEH and GREGORY WHITE SMITH are both graduates of the Harvard Law School. They are the authors of 18 books, including Jackson Pollock: An American Saga, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1991 and was a finalist for the National Book Award. Jackson Pollock was the inspiration for the 2000 film starring Ed Harris and Marcia Gay Harden. In 1981, Naifeh and Smith also founded Best Lawyers, the leading attorney referral guide in the U.S. They subsequently created Best Doctors and Best Dentists. They have been profiled in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, People, and on CBS "60 Minutes."

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    Reviews for Van Gogh

    4.5/5

    103 ratings9 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I had quite a few opposing feelings whilst reading this.

      There was so much about Vincents life that I did not know, had not heard or read about, and while it didn’t lessen my fondness for him it definitely has changed the way I view him.

      This biography of his life is so vividly detailed at times that it’s painful. I love the fact that it is so well researched and they were pulling from historical documents.

      I did have some problems with the way some things were written. For instance, near the end of the book, when Vincent and Theo we’re exchanging letters after Theo’s marriage, the authors write as if they knew Theo’s intentions with his words and made him sound like he was simply being callous. I get that the relationship between the brothers was not rainbows and unicorns like popular media has proposed. However, I don’t think he was ever intentionally callous to his brothers emotions as proposed in this book.

      So why five stars?
      Because at the end of the day regardless of my opinion this book is magnificent! It it’s absolutely beautiful and the sources can’t be rivaled.

      In addition, I also very much appreciate the stance they took on Vincent’s death. It’s so thorough and so well researched and so well explained. The authors did a marvelous job shedding light on one of the least popular theories.

      If you are a fan of Vincent and wish to know more or if you love Vincent and you think you know about his life, I highly suggest this book.
    • 5/5
      Just amazing, not about the art , Vincent comes alive with his family
    • 5/5
      A must book that sheds light on the non suicide death of this great artist.
    • 3/5
      Way too detailed. A really good editor would have halved the biography.
    • 5/5
      a very informative biography of this artist. vincent was a failure at everything he attempted in his life. it appears that he had a form of epilepsy that affected his brain from normal functioning of course he also had syphilis. the interesting thing was at his first his greatest point of madness, cutting off his ear while living with Gauguin was the time his art became known to the art world. When Gauguin returned to Paris he of course told the story of that night. Gauguin was the raising star of the art world. a young art critic, Albert Aurier, heard the story and he became interested in Van Gogh. He then became his champion. Sad for van gogh it was too late. the book studies not only the creative process of the art world but also the money of that world
    • 4/5
      Fantastic depth of research and meticulously written, unfortunately not a great read because its so damn depressing, Naifeh certainly accentuates the negatives in Van Gogh's life. Its a somber catalogue of Van Gogh's gradual alienation from his family, society and eventually life itself. Not denying that this certainly happened and his life was an unfolding tragedy, however, I would much rather see Van Gogh celebrated for his genius and his work. There's precious little of that here. My advice to Mr Naifeh and any other would-be biographer of this immortal artist would be "Lighten up, guys"
    • 5/5
      An astonishing and redefining portrait of a tormented and brilliant artist. Covers literally everything - family life and troubles, alienating personality, the books and painters he adored, everything.

      Van Gogh does not come across as a too sympathetic person - his personality, ingratiating and tempestuous, has driven away all but a few of his most devoted friends and his brother. His early forays with jobs and art education are embarrassing to read. He is fragile, wracked with his desires and the epilepsy and depression which tormented him, but audacious, producing brilliant portraits within days. His output is astonishing. One wonders about the old adages about the costs of genius, and how van Gogh himself says "I put my heart and soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process."

      The madness of genius. Despite everything, he is praised and immortalized.

      Excellent choice of pictures accompany the text - the color reproductions are excellent, and you can see the clumps of paint from the individual brush strokes.
    • 5/5
      Eight hundred pages to cover 37 years? You bet!There was a lot to draw from, since Vincent Van Gogh wrote many many letters, especially to his brother Theo. Inevitably, it becomes the story of both brothers, since they were so important to each other's existence. I can't imagine Vincent was a man who'd be easy to get along with, what with his constant bridge burning, but I really felt bad for him. Nothing went right for him in his life, and though eventually he was treated for mental illness, there was no true happiness for him, and certainly not the companionship that he so desired. Yet he is now one of the most beloved painters of all time. Every time I go into the Metropolitan Museum of Art, any time of day, the area containing his paintings draws the most people. But what a journey that led to this point!I most enjoyed reading the sections covering his early years, particularly his time in England, didn't like his Dutch period as much (his relationship with his parents was painful) and of course was most intrigued by his later (French) years.
    • 5/5
      Around 1984, I read the 3 volumes of Van Gogh's letters. Then, around 1986, I bought Jan Hulskers Complete Paintings of Van Gogh. I re-read the letters while following each letter with the painting that Vincent completed. This was a wonderful experience. I was very aware of the details of Vincent's life. However, Vincent's letters are mostly to his brother Theo and I felt that Vincent was showing his best most industrious side to his brother. Theo supported Vincent with money and courage. Vincent's letters also included some to Emile Bernard which showed another side of Vincent's personality.I knew there was more to Van Gogh than the letters.This biography, by Naifeh and Smith opens up Vincent's character. There are some very disappointing events in Vincent's life. He was troubled, vitriolic, and a misfit. I have read many artists biographies and I think Vincent lived the most sad and tragic life of any artist I have studied. Van Gogh: The Life is a miraculous accomplishment and I congratulate the authors on the enormous effort that was expended to complete this book.An art history classic.