Art + Travel Europe: Step into the Lives of Five Famous Painters

+ Travel

by Museyon Guides, Jillian Tamaki (Illustrator)

Van Gogh, Munch, Vermeer, Caravaggio, and Goya are five iconic European artists whose inspirational works have been obsessed over by art lovers and travelers for years. To see masterpieces such as Starry Night and The Scream up close is awe-inspiring, but this guide offers true devotees even more. The book provides detailed walking tours of Van Gogh’s Arles, France; Munch’s Oslo, Norway; Vermeer’s Delft, Netherlands; Caravaggio’s Rome, Italy; and Goya’s Madrid, Spain; as well as meticulously researched articles on the artists’ lives. It is packed with useful sidebars, suggested itineraries, museum locations, and an extended index of artwork, and features color photographs of more than 150 paintings.

Genres: Travel

208 pages, Paperback

First published November 27, 2009

Reviews

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alas, I'm not planning a trip to Europe anytime soon but I loved this book anyways. This guide takes five great artists and provides travel information to deepen your experience of their work. Goya for Spain, Van Gogh for the South of France, Caravaggio for Italy, Munch for Norway and Vermeer for Holland. Yes, it's a travel book but it's well-written and full of historical background on the artist's lives and eras and beautiful reproductions of their paintings with information on how and when they were created. I picked this up on a whim at the library and ended up loving it. Few art books give the proper geographical context. I loved how this book, for example, contrasted Van Gogh's pictures with photos of the actual landscapes that inspired him.

It also has practical information about where to stay and eat and walking tour routes so that you can plan a vacation to see both these artists' works and their milieu. The author also suggests additional reading, local festivals to attend and when to visit. Even if you aren't traveling, you'll learn a lot.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A facinating new concept from Museon Guides. The small paperback covers five artists (van Gogh, Vermeer, Goya, Carravggio and Munch) and how/where to see their work in Europe, as well as more about where they lived and worked. Very modern maps, walking tours, etc.

Limited audience, perhapas, but very well done. I'll use it for van Gogh and Vermer when we next vist.