Search results for ""Author Leo Jansen""

"There is scarcely one letter by Van Gogh which I, who am certainly no expert, do not find fascinating." —W. H. Auden In addition to his many remarkable paintings and drawings, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) left behind a fascinating and voluminous body of correspondence. This highly accessible book includes a broad selection of 265 letters, from a total of 820 in existence, that focus on Van Gogh’s relentless quest to find his destiny, a search that led him to become an artist; the close bond with his brother Theo; his fraught relationship with his father; his innate yearning for recognition; and his great love of art and literature. The correspondence not only offers detailed insights into Van Gogh’s complex inner life, but also re-creates the world in which he lived and the artistic avant-garde that was taking hold in Paris. The letters are accompanied by a general introduction, historic family photographs, and reproductions of 87 actual pages of letters that contain sketches by Van Gogh. Selected from the critically acclaimed 6-volume set of letters published by the Van Gogh Museum in 2009, Ever Yours is the essential book on Van Gogh’s letters, which every art and literature lover needs to own. Published in association with the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Read more less

The general public’s image of Mondrian is of a serious man in a suit and tie with a reserved, rather aloof look. It is the same group of some ten photographs that shaped this image over time, although there are around 400 known photographs of the artist and his studios that provide a far more balanced and livelier image of Mondrian. This gorgeous book is not a biography, but rather a visual and emotional reference work for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the world of this extraordinarily modern artist. The studios in Amsterdam, Paris, and New York are works of art themselves, as fascinating as the guests in these rooms. There are snapshots showing his private life, taken during journeys or visits, photographs of vernissages and dinners as well as formal portraits that he uses to promote the image of a serious, uncompromising artist. Detailed captions and richly illustrated essays on the significance of photography in the context of Mondrian’s work make this book an extraordinary document of his time.

Read more less

An illustrated selection of Van Gogh’s letters, forming an extraordinary window into the life and creative thinking of one of the world’s most iconic artists. Vincent van Gogh’s letters have long been prized as some of the most valuable documents in the world of art. Not only do they throw light on Van Gogh’s own complex and intriguing character, they enlighten the whole creative process as seen through his eyes. Here we can observe Van Gogh’s thoughts and opinions at first hand, as well as his close ties with his brother Theo, his sometimes troubled relationships with friends and fellow artists, his personal doubts and fears, and above all his overriding passion for his art. This is not only an immense treasure trove of biographical and art-historical information, it provides a lasting pleasure as a personal written testimony to a life consecrated to art. Vincent van Gogh: A Life in Letters belongs on the shelves of every reader in search of self-revelatory documents of one of the greatest creative minds.

Read more less

An unprecedented, in-depth exploration of the dawn of Van Gogh’s artistic career In 1878, at age 25, Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) arrived in the area of Belgium known as the Borinage to work as a Protestant evangelist in rural coal mining communities. He failed in that vocation, and after months of soul-searching, in August 1880, he decided to become an artist. This fascinating publication is the first to examine in depth Van Gogh’s time in the Borinage and his artistic development in the following years, when he created his works that in many cases have direct ties with this early period. Vivid essays tell the story of Van Gogh’s life in the mining communities, and the effect this environment had on his way of thinking and seeing the world. Augmenting the text are letters Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo from the Borinage, in which he describes his desire to sketch, and drawings that he modeled after prints of masterworks by artists such as Jean-François Millet. Other essays trace Van Gogh’s development as an artist in subsequent years, including his move to Brussels to fully pursue life as an artist. Thought-provoking examinations of works that Van Gogh completed after leaving the Borinage demonstrate how motifs that he developed there—rustic dwellings, laborers, agriculture, nature—became themes that spanned his entire oeuvre. Distributed for Mercatorfonds and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Mons, BelgiumExhibition Schedule:Foundation Mons 2015, Belgium (01/23/15–05/17/15)

Read more less