Sunflowers For Van Gogh

by David Douglas Duncan

From the front flap of this 149-page "This romantic odyssey through all of Van Gogh's hauntingly beautiful sunflower paintings, and David Douglas Duncan's unknown poetic photography from the sunflower belt of southern France, pays tribute at once to the artist's achievement and the dazzling flower itself. Inspired by Van Gogh's vibrantly painted canvasses, Duncan set out on a journey to capture with color camera the plant that had so intrigued the artist. Scarce in Van Gogh's own time, the sunflower of today grows across Europe in ever-increasing numbers of fields to satisfy the commercial demand for vegetable oil. This vast floral extravaganza vies with the Dutch tulip fields for spectacular beauty and abundance, yet has been ignored until now. With photographs, Duncan reveals his own obsession to document the flower. He sought out the source of Van Gogh's inspiration at Arles, then farther afield, from Provence to the Atlantic. In the eleven known paintings of sunflowers by Van Gogh (reproduced here all together in color for the first time) and Duncan's dramatic pictures, this book celebrates a countryside flower through the eyes of two artists."

Genres: Photography, Art

147 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 1986

About the author

David Douglas Duncan (January 23, 1916 – June 7, 2018) was an American photojournalist.

He is best known for his dramatic combat photographs of the Second World War, the Korean & Vietnam wars, as well as for his extensive domestic photography of Pablo Picasso.

Duncan turned 100 in January 2016 and died in June 2018 in Grasse, France, aged 102.
In 2021, Duncan was posthumously inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum.

Reviews

[Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had this book on my shelves for many years and it never really caught my attention... but, I returned from France last week and traveled the specific areas that the author speaks to as to the sunflower fields of France.
I now have a much greater appreciation of the photos in the book and the testimony by the author to the beauty and the individuality of sunflowers.
The art of Van Gogh and his sunflowers that are included are a special bonus as are the comments Duncan makes of Van Gogh and his passion for sunflowers.

[Autumn Kearney · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were many remarkable photographs in this book. Believe it or not, they were not all sunflowers. Even though the title was a little misleading, it was an enjoyable book. It contained photos of Provence, Midi-Pyrenees, Loire Valley, the Atlantic Coast, and a map of sunflowers in France. Of course, a copy of Van Gough’s Sunflowers was included too.

[Lynne Cancelosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currently reading this historical fiction about Van Gogh and his mistress and find it light and easy reading. After attending an exhibit of Van Gogh's paintings at the Smithsonian Art Museum in Washington, D.C. I enjoyed this fictional glimpse of his love life.
I have incorrectly named this book and it's author. It is Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick. It is her first novel. Her ability to describe the countryside in the l800's is wonderful. Enjoy

[Jasmine Walston · Rating 5 out of 5]

The photographs in this book are beautiful and a great art inspiration. I would recommend this book to any kind of artist, especially fans of Van Gogh and his sunflower paintings. Even if you just like flowers or French landscapes or anything of that sort you will probably like this book. It's a lovely thing to have around.

[Lexie ❤️‍ · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something about Van Gogh. I just love him.