Van Gogh's Inner Struggle: Life, Work and Mental Illness (Secrets of Van Gogh)

Fascinating Look into the Life of a Tortured GeniusUsing Van Gogh's letters as a primary source, the author discusses the artist's life, his approach to his work and his mental illness. The letters vividly show the artist's life was no bed of roses.Whereas Van Gogh perfectly knew what was sellable, he continued to produce what he considered as honest, 'truthful' art, regardless of current taste. He did not expect the art-buying public to understand the rough appearance of his work. Van Gogh acknowledged that being an artist simply involved struggle, but he believed that one would benefit from adversity, both personally and professionally. "No victory without a battle, no battle without suffering."In Van Gogh's case it seems to have been a never ending battle against poverty, isolation and adversity. Given his circumstances - being financially dependent upon his brother Theo, not selling any work, and getting minimal recognition - his achievements are utterly amazing.This is not a book about Van Gogh's art, but about his life as an artist and human being. By reading it, you will appreciate and understand his work even better.Van Gogh's Inner Struggle is number #3 of the series Secrets of Van Gogh.# 1 The 1-Hour Van Gogh Book is a brief introduction to Van Gogh's fascinating life and work. If you want to gain a greater appreciation for one of the most fascinating artists of all time, this is the book for you. You will gain a whole new perspective on Van Gogh.# 3 Van Gogh Today - Short Stories contains eight short stories of lives that were touched in some way or another by the artist. They are a reflection of the power of his story, and why Van Gogh remains a timeless inspiration to us all. The book is not about Van Gogh's paintings, but tells us about the relevance of Van Gogh's life story for eight seemingly ordinary people.# 4 Van Gogh in Love tells the story of the artist’s longing for love and a family, exploring the lesser-known area of the artist’s romantic life. As can perhaps be expected from an artist like Vincent van Gogh, his choice of women was unconventional. He favored more mature companions, and pursued relationships with women that were considered unsuitable. His yearning for love and a family life was intimately connected with his artistic practice. A woman could not only assist him practically, by serving as his model, but would also give him the opportunity to fully understand emotions like love, tenderness and compassion. A painter had to be immersed in his subject matter to properly express feelings in his work.# 5 Van Gogh and Money focuses on Vincent’s financial situation, a subject never explored before. Known as the ultimate embodiment of the notion of the “poor artist”, Van Gogh was largely unable to sell his work during his lifetime. His letters tell of an eternal lack of money, and the difficulties this created when it came to practising his art. Paint, canvases and models were, as he discovered, not cheap. He was, however, more than happy to sacrifice his physical wellbeing in the interest of producing his masterpieces. The book follows Van Gogh during two critical periods of his artistic career, his time spent in The Hague and Arles. At both stages, he was supported by his brother Theo, who sent him a monthly allowance that never seemed sufficient. This dependency on his brother caused Van Gogh immense guilt.From his letters we get a good insight into Van Gogh’s financial affairs, since the brothers’ correspondence often touched on the subject of money. This book presents a more nuanced view of Van Gogh as the impoverished artist, as he was in fact in a rather fortunate position compared to many of his peers. Regardless of the actual amount of money he received from his brother, it becomes clear that the artist was poor in the light of his ambition.