Study Sources
Books and Catalogues | Films | NGA Van Gogh Web ResourcesBooks and Catalogues
Bernard, Bruce. Van Gogh (New York, 1992). One of the Eyewitness Art series. Introduces the artist's biography, materials, and stylistic development. Glossary.
De Leeuw, Ronald. Van Gogh Museum (Zwolle, The Netherlands, 1997).
Dutch Painting in the Age of Van Gogh [exh. cat., Glasgow Museum and Art Galleries] (Amsterdam, 1991). An excellent introduction to nineteenth-century Dutch art in English.
Gogh, Vincent van. The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, 3 vols. (Boston, 1978).
________. The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh, ed. Ronald de Leeuw (New York, 1996). There are other abridged editions of Van Gogh's correspondence as well.
Howard, Michael, in association with the Musée Gauguin, Tahiti. Gauguin (New York, 1992). Eyewitness Art series. Introduces the artist's life, range of work and media, technique, materials. Glossary.
Hulsker, Jan. The New Complete Van Gogh: Paintings, Drawings, Sketches (Amsterdam and Philadelphia, 1996). The most recent catalogue raisonné (a complete catalogue of an artist's work).
Kendall, Richard. Van Gogh's Van Goghs: Masterpieces from the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam [exh. cat., National Gallery of Art, Washington] (Washington, D.C., 1998)
Pickvance, Ronald. Van Gogh in Arles [exh. cat., Metropolitan Museum of Art] (New York, 1984).
________. Van Gogh in Saint-Rémy and Auvers [exh. cat., Metropolitan Museum of Art] (New York, 1986). Both exhibition catalogues from the Metropolitan Museum provide thorough discussion of the last phases of Van Gogh's prolific career.
Rewald, John. Post-Impressionism: From Van Gogh to Gauguin (New York, 1978). An excellent introduction to the major figures of the French avant-garde: Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, Seurat, and others.
Roskill, Mark W. Van Gogh, Gauguin, and the Impressionist Circle (Greenwich, CT, 1970).
Stone, Irving. Lust for Life: The Novel on Vincent van Gogh (New York and Toronto, 1934). The most famous of Van Gogh biographies; it has been translated into at least thirty-eight languages.
Vincent van Gogh: Drawings (New York, 1987). Forty-four-page paperback with forty-four illustrations of drawings by Van Gogh, including his sketches for The Potato Eaters and drawings of La Mousmé, The Yellow House ("The Street"), and The Bedroom.
Films (excluding documentaries)
Lust for Life (1956). Vincente Minelli, director. Classic artist biography film based on the novel by Irving Stone. Stars Kirk Douglas as Van Gogh and Anthony Quinn as Gauguin; Quinn won an Oscar as best supporting actor.
Vincent and Theo (1990). Robert Altman, director. Produced in the Netherlands.
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (1990). Akira Kurosawa, director. Japanese fantasy film consisting of eight separate vignettes, one of which features Martin Scorsese in the role of Van Gogh.
Van Gogh (1991). Maurice Pialat, director. French film chronicles the last two months of Van Gogh's tragic life. Jacques Dutronc won a César award (French equivalent of the Oscar) for his portrayal of Van Gogh.
In a Brilliant Light -- Van Gogh in Arles (1984). Gene Searchinger, director. One of Van Gogh's most productive intervals was the time he spent in Arles in 1888 and 1889. Ronald Pickvance discusses works from this period including The Night Café, The Bedroom, portraits of the Roulin family, and Sunflowers.
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