Reviews for Van Gogh and Gauguin

The average rating for Van Gogh and Gauguin based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-04-08 00:00:00 Anita Gift This book is an exploration of the relationship between two artists that have helped shape the artistic consciousness of our modern world Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. The brief collaboration between the two artists in Arles arguably had a very strong affect on the artwork of both. Additionally it was kind of a staging point for many of the elements for which both artists are best remembered; Vincent for the ear incident (which seems to fascinate people) and Gauguin for his expedition to the Pacific and the artwork for which he is best known. This exploration of the artists comes from a psychoanalytic perspective, so it is often speculative and nuanced. While I personally do not agree with all the conclusions, I loved the approach which utlised a broad, broad number of paintings and drawings in drawing conclusions about the psychological climate of each artist and their convoluted relationship. Though more of the book looks at the complexity of the man that was Vincent, Gauguin comes out strong and clear as well. Being less of a corespondent than Vincent was, the bulk of writing telling us all Gauguin's inner thoughts and feelings is absent so the analysuis is maybe more derivative and speculative. Also, the tenor of Gauguin's letters is more linear, giving a stronger, more certain character to the writer compared with the tumultuous, soul searching letters of Vincent. These letters describing his world and art through his own eyes, through the interpretation of an author both sympathetic and analytical are amazing. Even as a very small child I was always fascinated by Van Gogh's art, it has always triggered a strong visceral reaction and I LOVED the building of a narrative through his art, as this book does. At the end, so many of Vincent's passionate, chaotic hopes and yearnings HAVE indeed be realised; the collaboration of the two artists did not last long (as he hoped it would) or end well(for any number of reasons). But the art it produced and the story of the Yellow house in Arles has been so long lasting it is practically mythology. The works of art created there are magnificent and the images ubiquitous. The dream of an artists colony that Vincent had, and which Gauguin almost certainly exploited, never occurred, but so many of the hopes Vincent had for it have come to pass. In this analysis at least, Gauguin's mature work is credited with having fruited in Arles, where he abandoned Divisionism, left Impressionism behind and launched himself into the symbolism that most people would associate with the artist and his Pacific work. As a physiological analysis, one cannot expect to agree with everything. While all the points were interesting not all of them were entirely convincing. More research has been done on Van Gogh since this book was published so that has to slant some of the conclusions also. As an example of items I am not wholly convinced by is the authors insistence that whenever either of the protagonists paints a red haired character it is a 'clear' metaphor for Van Gogh. Sometimes, I am sure that is the case, but red heads are not so uncommon in the era and area that every red head had to be Van Gogh and this is especially the case whenever either artist was painting Jesus, as both do. Now, sure, sometimes the religious paintings were veiled commentary on the painters themselves. However Van Gogh at least had an old school classical religious training, Gauguin was catholic, he may had had less, but Vincent must have been exposed to the literature, which repeatedly states that Jesus Christ was red headed, a decedent of king David. So while this fact may have increased the association Vincent felt to Christ, leading to all sorts of symbology, I personally can't accept that every red-headed Christ is a commentary on Vincent. Aside from a few very small quibbles of that nature, I have nothing to criticise in this book. This was my second reading of it, and being able to read with google beside me, available to bring up every painting mentioned in full colour was a brilliant expansion of my enjoyment of this book.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-04-30 00:00:00 Nadine Loest I loved the way Van Gough studied art and applied his colors to his tortured pallete