The Letters of Vincent van Gogh by Vincent Van Gogh, & 2 more

ISBN: 9780140446746

Penguin Books Ltd, 31 July 1997

Paperback, 560 pages

Book description:
A new selection of post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh’s letters, The Letters of Vincent van Gogh puts a human face on one of the most haunting figures in modern Western culture. In this Penguin Classics edition, the letters are selected and edited by Ronald de Leeuw and translated by Arnold Pomerans.

Few artists’ letters are as self-revelatory as van Gogh’s, and this selection, spanning his artistic career, sheds light on every facet of the life and work of this complex and troubled man. Engaging candidly with his religious struggles, his search for love, his mental illness, and his relationship with his brother Theo, the letters challenge the myth of van Gogh as merely an antisocial madman, revealing instead a man of profound emotional and spiritual depth.

Above all, they form an intense personal narrative of artistic development and a unique account of the creative process, accompanied by biographical passages and illustrations that trace his inner and outer life.