A Van Gough booklet.

This is Part 2 of a 5 part series of narratives about the life of Van Gough. This booklet is only 48 pages long, so I'm wondering why they were even separated and not published as an entire book. There is also cross referencing from this volume into others, which is meaningless if you only have the one. Only this one appears to be available as an audiobook, which is how I came across it.

I listened to this last summer, around the time that I visited the Van Gough Interactive Exhibition in Genoa. For some reason I never wrote the review at that time, so I just listened to half of it again to remind myself. Obviously I was in the right frame of mind last year as I gave it 4*, on a re-listen I found it rather dry and treatise-like, but I will stick with my original grading.

Van Gough is a fascinating character. He created artwork that has transcended the test of time, yet he only sold one painting during his life. As we are informed, he was aware of the type of art that would sell, yet he chose to go against the grain. If it weren't for the many letters he wrote at the time, we would presumably know a great deal less about this fascinating man. We think that depression and anxiety is a modern affliction, but Van Gough obviously suffered too.

This audiobook quotes many of the artist's original letters and several of the responses he received. Although I found it a bit dry, this is the most accurate source of insider information and the author is undoubtedly an expert on the subject.
The narrator, Denise Kahn, spoke clearly, in somewhat of a slow monotone, but I had no problem understanding her.
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Sadness will last forever.

Socially inept, Can Gogh failed in his earlier employment and it wasn't until a suggestion that he tried his hand at draughtsmanship that, supported financially by his brother, Theo, he found his calling as an artist. But throughout his life he suffered physical disability and mental instabilities including terrible nightmares, seizures, melancholy and remorse.

Using quotations from Van Gogh's own letters, author Lisbeth Heenk, a Dutch art historian, let's the artist speak for himself through them. She writes sympathetically and without artistic jargon, a!lowing his own thoughts and fears to shine through.
Denise Kahn reads clearly, matching the text in clarity and simplicity, differentiating the voice of Van Gogh from that of Ms.Keen

An excellent book, succinct but packed with information to better understand the man behind the masterpieces. My sincere thanks to the rights holder who freely gifted me a complimentary copy of Van Gogh's Inner Struggle, via FAFY, at my request.

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