In a picture I want to say something comforting as music is comforting; Vincent van Gogh confided to his friend and fellow artist; Emile Bernard. "I want to paint men and women with that something of the eternal which the halo used to symbolize and which we seek to give by the actual radiance and vibration of our colorings." Written in the years 1887 to 1889; these letters are among the most important and relevant sources of insight into van Goghs life and art. Apart from their fascinating content; they are among the most sensitive and perceptive studies ever published about the man and the artist.On his decision to make the letters public; Barnard commented; "After reading them one could not doubt his [van Goghs] sincerity; his character; nor his originality; there; pulsating with life; one would find the whole of him." Indeed; these 23 letters; eloquently translated into English; radiate with their authors impulsiveness; intensity; and mysticism. In one van Gogh admits: "I cant disguise from you the fact that I like the country; having been brought up there mdash; floods of memories of the past; aspirations towards that infinity; of which the sower and the sheaves are symbols; enchant me now as then. But I wonder when Ill get my starry sky done; a picture which haunts me always." Complemented by handsome black-and-white reproductions of some of van Goghs major paintings and facsimiles from his letters; this volume is essential reading for scholars and students of art and will be treasured by artists and art lovers alike.
#1510395 in eBooks 2013-03-21 2013-03-21File Name: B00A735ELU
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. "Surfaces" Is Anything But SuperficialBy Pavel Somov; Ph.D.; psychologist; author of "Lotus Effect" and "Present Perfect""Surfaces" - rightly described by other reviewers as "scholarship" - is canonical in its importance. "Surfaces" is anything but superficial: it is history; it is epistemology; it is psychology; it is mysticism; it is prophecy. And; in my reading of it; "Surfaces" is an exposition of a subtle trinity of existence: to touch is to know; to be touched is to be known; to touch is to be touched (to know is to be known). This book will probably take several months out of your life and it will then "refund" you with an understanding that to be in touch with reality is to be in touch with yourself.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Thoughtful and challenging scholarshipBy Ben HruskaAmato completes the ever difficult task of the seasoned writer; producing a historical narrative that blends both the detailed theory of intellectual history with examples from simple daily life. Well researched; Dr. Amato produces a text that is challenging to the advanced scholar and also paints a vivid picture to transform the world-view of the average history buff. Dr. Benjamin Hruska