Van Gogh

by Meyer Schapiro

A renowned art historian and Van Gogh expert provides inspirational and authoritative commentary on forty-eight major works, reproduced in full-color, including The Starry Night, Crows over the Wheat Field, The Potato-Eaters, Sunflowers, and Irises.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

132 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Abi Pellinor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst the author clearly had a lot of knowledge about van Gogh’s work, his writing was overly academic and inaccessible. Unfortunately that greatly reduced my enjoyment of this book. I can’t rate it any lower than a 3 however, due to the knowledge provided and also because the paintings from Gogh are just gorgeous

[Chet Makoski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forty-eight of Van Gogh’s greatest paintings are beautifully presented in large format with excellent commentary to help one better understand the subject matter and brilliance of each of the painting. Van Gogh created 900 paintings out of 2,000 pieces of art which also included watercolors and drawings executed between 1879 and 1890. Van Gogh was a great post-impressionist artist with works that began the period of modern art. Van Gogh’s legacy and genius was largely established by the 450 paintings he did in the last 2-1/2 years of his life in Arles, Saint Remy and Auvers.

[Lady reading under the Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read all the text (barely any of it, really), but this book has a large collection of color prints, all appropriate, and it has been a good book to use for Picture Study. I've chosen six prints to study (it was difficult to choose; so many of the prints are fascinating) and we've started with "The Starry Night." There are descriptions and explanations on the facing page for each picture; I'll probably end up skimming those later.

[Joel Ackerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have benefited from more of (I am sure) the endlessly interesting things about Van Gogh. It was understandable, the criticism/analysis on point. But it was a little dry and mechanical for such an emotive artist with such a fascinating life as Van Gogh, failing even to answer basic questions--why did he kill himself? Why was he poor, unsuccessful as an artist? What did contemporaries make of him and his art?

[Gayle Pritchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Van Gogh's work, and am always interested in looking at it. This book had several drawings and paintings I hadn't seen, so I was thrilled. I am inspired to remember to get up tomorrow and go outside to sketch! Never enough images, this book had too many of the few that were printed in black and white, full on the page. Why bother even printing that? Van Gogh's paintings are all about his bold colors.