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The 1-Hour Van Gogh Book: Complete Van Gogh Biography for Beginners
Una Hora con Van Gogh es una excelente introducción a la vida y obra del gran artista Vincent van Gogh. Escrito de manera fácil y accesible, permite comprender mejor sus pinturas!
En sólo una hora de lectura, abre las puertas hacia el mundo de Van Gogh, artista que casi por si solo decidió el futuro del arte moderno. Este libro constituye una obra imprescindible para captar mejor sus obras en el Museo Van Gogh de Amsterdam.
* n°1 Pagados en Tienda Kindle (amazon.com)*
En sólo una hora de lectura, abre las puertas hacia el mundo de Van Gogh, artista que casi por si solo decidió el futuro del arte moderno. Este libro constituye una obra imprescindible para captar mejor sus obras en el Museo Van Gogh de Amsterdam.
* n°1 Pagados en Tienda Kindle (amazon.com)*
95 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2012
35 people are currently reading
780 people want to read
About the author
Liesbeth Heenk
58 books55 followersPrivate account of Liesbeth Heenk, author of books on Vincent van Gogh, Amsterdam Museums, and the Howard Hodgkin catalogue raisonne of prints.
Owner of Amsterdam Publishers.
http://viewAuthor.at/LiesbethHeenk
Owner of Amsterdam Publishers.
http://viewAuthor.at/LiesbethHeenk
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 25, 2024
“𝐼’𝑚 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑢𝑡𝑦, 𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 - 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼’𝑣𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑓𝑜𝑟 30 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 - 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒. 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑. [...]”
I enjoyed this short but very well written book.
I enjoyed this short but very well written book.
March 1, 2014
Mucho se dice y se especula acerca de Van Gogh como hombre y como artista. Sus obras son analizadas y sobreanalizadas para intentar encontrar el incentivo que lo impulsó a dibujar como lo hizo y crear la nueva base de arte moderno. ¿Pero qué hay del hombre en su vida? ¿Es su perturbación, sus problemas mentales, lo único valioso en el estudio de su arte? Este es un libro conciso, certero y al punto acerca de ese hombre desde sus propias palabras y circunstancias. En lugar de analizar su obra, se centra en su vida, en cómo la veía él mismo y lo que hacía para llegar a sus objetivos. Atraviesa de forma sucinta el período de diez años en los cuales produjo toda su obra con bocaditos de su misma mano acerca de su vocación y sus ambiciones.
Este es un libro acerca del hombre como artista como hombre. Para quienes no conozcan nada de arte, como yo, es una muy placentera introducción al artista humano para luego mirar sus trabajos con una visión renovada, y quién sabe, quizás también del modo en que él quería que fueran vistas sus pinturas.
Eso sí, es tan cortito que en una hora uno se queda con las ganas de leer más.
Este es un libro acerca del hombre como artista como hombre. Para quienes no conozcan nada de arte, como yo, es una muy placentera introducción al artista humano para luego mirar sus trabajos con una visión renovada, y quién sabe, quizás también del modo en que él quería que fueran vistas sus pinturas.
Eso sí, es tan cortito que en una hora uno se queda con las ganas de leer más.
April 12, 2013
I mostly enjoyed this. It gave some interesting explanations of Van Gogh's life and his passion for painting. This makes me want to read even more about him. Van Gogh has become a favorite of mine ever since reading Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick (I HIGHLY recommend, by the way!!) and so I have been wanting to read more about his life anyway! Nice, quick read although the Kindle formatting was a bit wonky in places.
August 27, 2013
I have always enjoyed puttering around with art, but never took the time to study art. This book is an easy book to navigate, however you might be happily sidetracked by new revelations of a man that you never knew. Family played a big role in his creative pursuits. I guess one thing I didn't expect was being able to actually begin to see movement in the clouds and grass. It is like a mini art appreciation class.
June 2, 2025
The 1-Hour Van Gogh Book sets out to offer a quick, engaging introduction to one of art history’s most enigmatic figures. Unfortunately, while its ambition is commendable, the execution leaves much to be desired. What could have been a compact yet insightful gateway into Van Gogh’s life and work ends up feeling more like a beautifully packaged summary leaflet than a meaningful encounter with the artist.
The book is visually attractive and clearly written—but that's where most of its strengths end. The title promises you’ll “learn everything you need to know,” yet the content barely scratches the surface. Readers are offered the familiar greatest-hits narrative: Vincent was misunderstood, mentally ill, painted a lot, died young, became famous later. It's the same mythology recycled without critical distance, historical context, or new insight.
Key dimensions of Van Gogh’s life and art are either reduced to bullet points or omitted entirely. His philosophical writings, complex emotional life, aesthetic evolution, and deep engagement with literature, religion, and color theory are virtually absent. Even his revolutionary brushwork and use of pigment—which fundamentally changed modern art—are touched on with little analytical depth. The book avoids messiness, nuance, or contradiction—qualities that defined Van Gogh’s life.
The choice to keep the book extremely short (around 60 pages) may suit hurried readers or museum gift shop buyers, but it comes at the cost of substance. Important paintings are presented with captions so brief they feel like label text from an audio tour. The voice is friendly and polished, yet lacks the interpretative curiosity that Van Gogh’s legacy deserves.
As for accessibility: yes, this book is readable. But readability without resonance is a missed opportunity. For a reader new to Van Gogh, this might offer a scaffold. For anyone with even a passing interest, it will feel like a shallow overview rather than a meaningful primer. For readers hoping to understand why Van Gogh still matters—why his art continues to speak across centuries—this book does not deliver.
In the end, The 1-Hour Van Gogh Book succeeds in being short, visually pleasant, and tidy. But in its eagerness to simplify, it ends up sanitizing. Van Gogh was chaotic, visionary, tormented, experimental—and this version is none of those things.
The book is visually attractive and clearly written—but that's where most of its strengths end. The title promises you’ll “learn everything you need to know,” yet the content barely scratches the surface. Readers are offered the familiar greatest-hits narrative: Vincent was misunderstood, mentally ill, painted a lot, died young, became famous later. It's the same mythology recycled without critical distance, historical context, or new insight.
Key dimensions of Van Gogh’s life and art are either reduced to bullet points or omitted entirely. His philosophical writings, complex emotional life, aesthetic evolution, and deep engagement with literature, religion, and color theory are virtually absent. Even his revolutionary brushwork and use of pigment—which fundamentally changed modern art—are touched on with little analytical depth. The book avoids messiness, nuance, or contradiction—qualities that defined Van Gogh’s life.
The choice to keep the book extremely short (around 60 pages) may suit hurried readers or museum gift shop buyers, but it comes at the cost of substance. Important paintings are presented with captions so brief they feel like label text from an audio tour. The voice is friendly and polished, yet lacks the interpretative curiosity that Van Gogh’s legacy deserves.
As for accessibility: yes, this book is readable. But readability without resonance is a missed opportunity. For a reader new to Van Gogh, this might offer a scaffold. For anyone with even a passing interest, it will feel like a shallow overview rather than a meaningful primer. For readers hoping to understand why Van Gogh still matters—why his art continues to speak across centuries—this book does not deliver.
In the end, The 1-Hour Van Gogh Book succeeds in being short, visually pleasant, and tidy. But in its eagerness to simplify, it ends up sanitizing. Van Gogh was chaotic, visionary, tormented, experimental—and this version is none of those things.
October 23, 2021
Read this because I wanted know more about Van Gogh before I go see the Van Gogh Immersion that will be coming to town. I am sure there is a lot more information about him in other books but it helped me see and understand him and his life. Didn’t know about his relationship with his brother and all the letters shared between them. That was very interesting to learn and see a few copies of his letters.
February 9, 2022
Perfect introduction or refresher
Extremely accessible writing that doesn't skimp on fact or details Well researched and knowledgeable author. This is a great survey,refresher, or introduction and materials for sources with why each is good qre included too! I rarely give a full 5 stars and wish I could give more
Extremely accessible writing that doesn't skimp on fact or details Well researched and knowledgeable author. This is a great survey,refresher, or introduction and materials for sources with why each is good qre included too! I rarely give a full 5 stars and wish I could give more
May 28, 2022
Van Gogh Explained
I always liked his paintings, but being an art simpleton, never analyzed why. This helped me understand. It was the emotions his art invoked within me. And that’s a kinship I share with him. The little bit of “art” I experimented with in college depicted nothing but the emotions I was feeling. I even titled most of them as “Emotion #1”, etc.
I always liked his paintings, but being an art simpleton, never analyzed why. This helped me understand. It was the emotions his art invoked within me. And that’s a kinship I share with him. The little bit of “art” I experimented with in college depicted nothing but the emotions I was feeling. I even titled most of them as “Emotion #1”, etc.
Read
October 12, 2020This book probably took more than an hour to read, but it was written in an easy to follow manner. Plus, it provided many details into the artist's life that I did not know about. I highly recommend thsi book!
July 16, 2017
4.5 stars
August 28, 2017
As an Artist, It would be a great pleasure to win this books that sounds so interesting :) ... If I win, I will update these review :) ...
April 9, 2020
Sus obras han sido pintadas con tanta rapidez e intensidad que están muy cerca de la definición de arte que hago propia: “arte como una callada y capturada emoción”.
January 1, 2021
Great insight into a creative mind and how he processed his thoughts and feelings...inspiring!
July 8, 2014
How Van Gogh viewed his life
A beautifully written biography on Van Gogh life interspersed with his very own writing. Throughout the timeline of this history the reader gets to view the paintings which made Van Gogh so popular but only after his death. The author continues his life in several other books in a series like no other available about this artists life.
A beautifully written biography on Van Gogh life interspersed with his very own writing. Throughout the timeline of this history the reader gets to view the paintings which made Van Gogh so popular but only after his death. The author continues his life in several other books in a series like no other available about this artists life.
November 19, 2020
Esta obra puede ser muy acertada para los curiosos que tengan pocos conocimientos sobre Van Gogh. Sin embargo, la traducción al español es tan mala que os recomendaría leer el folleto en inglés si sabéis el idioma. Para conocer mi opinión en profundidad, podéis leer mi reseña.
October 7, 2024
Short and sweet and extremely interesting! What a tragic life Van Gogh lived. The author mentions that knowing some of the "life facts" about an artist will make you view his work in a different way. What the artist was trying to express through his work can reach you better and I think this is 100% true. The 1-Hour Van Gogh Book is well worth your hour to read it.
November 1, 2013
Compliments to Diana M. Ortiz Troncoso Menchacafor the excellent translation from English into Spanish! I am VERY grateful!!
April 14, 2014
Recently the book has been fully revised and updated.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews