Books Highlight Van Goghs Life Behind Arts
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Most of the all-time great artists have earned their reputations posthumously ― most had to go through despair during their lifetime.
Vincent van Gogh, now regarded as one of the geniuses in the history of art, was suffering from madness during his life and his art was little appreciated.
But his legacy is still vibrant in films, songs and literature, and particularly with the van Gogh exhibition now taking place at the Seoul Museum of Art gaining success.
In tandem with the enormous popularity of the van Gogh exhibition, a number of books and articles about the Dutch artist are being published to offer a glimpse of his life.
Among others, two books recently published ― ``The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine Turbulent Weeks in Arles'' by Marin Gayford and ``My Brother, Vincent van Gogh'' by Judith Perrignon ― will help the reader enhance the understanding of how the miserable artist lived.
The two shed light on the different aspects of his life; the former focuses on his stay in Arles while the latter deals with his later period in Auvers sur Oise.
The Yellow House portrays the 60 days from when he decided to head south to Arles in France where he hoped Paul Gauguin would join him and help found a school of art at the yellow house to when Gauguin left the house after he was alienated from van Gogh.
The story revolves around short episodes through the author's analysis and comparison of the paintings they created during this period, and through letters and newspapers.
In 1888, from October to December, the two artists spent time collaborating on similar subjects that led to different artistic results due to their entirely different temperaments.
It is interesting to learn that van Gogh recommends Gauguin to find a method of painting, while he uses the jute canvas that was Gauguin's material of choice.
The author's narrative is genuinely dramatic as it moves from the exciting beginning of the coexistence of the two artists and van Gogh's paintings in Arles toward his fateful end.
The book clearly not only compares the distinctive characteristics of van Gogh and Gauguin from the perspective of art but also delves into their personalities through a day-by-day account.
The two great artists shared the yellow house for two months and the views of their fervent artistic passions, albeit in their own different ways, but caused disputes on many issues leading to disastrous results later.
Their life peaked in the famous incident where van Gogh tried to cut off his ear. In a fit of epilepsy, van Gogh pursued his friend with an open razor. He was stopped by Gauguin, but ended up cutting a portion of his ear lobe off.
Van Gogh then began to suffer from fits of madness and lucidity, and was finally driven to an asylum in Saint-Remy for treatment.
However, the book consistently explores van Gogh's mind until his suicide.
Every page delivers close and vivid details of their daily lives during their weeks together, revealing van Gogh's colorful but short life.
The author also gives delightful details such as the joint visits to local brothels, how the weather may have affected their work habits, and Gauguin's cooking skills.
Meanwhile, ``My Brother, Vincent van Gogh'' tells the story of the artist through the eyes of his brother Theo, the central figure in van Gogh's life, who continually and selflessly provided financial support.
Their lifelong friendship is documented in numerous letters they exchanged.
The art fiction begins with van Gogh's funeral and explores Theo's emotional changes leading to his death from similar symptoms that afflicted van Gogh six months later.
The story morbidly narrates his retrospective on van Gogh from the loss of his brother and later finds Theo following the same path.
However, the book sheds light on the unknown stories of van Gogh's family especially his mother and Theo's wife.
Van Gogh's mother is depicted as a strong and devout woman who fought against her son's troubles with her faith in God.
Also, the story articulates how Theo loved van Gogh and sacrificed himself for the artist, which made his wife and others miserable, and other agonies the great artist suffered.