Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers

Vincent Van Gogh has always been one of my favorite artists. I was always intrigued by his struggle with mental illness, his use of color, his thick application of paint and fascinating brushwork. Until this book, I did not realize how close he was to his brother Theo. What a unique bond they had. The historical references were mesmerizing. It is obvious this book took hours and hours of time to research. The Van Gogh family history is also a unique story in itself. With a father as a pastor Vincent had his own unique path with God. God and Art.Once I started reading I could not put it down. Although I knew the basic story of Vincent’s life the details of this story were more interesting than I ever imagined. He sacrificed his emotional and physical well being for the life he chose to live. The struggles physically and emotionally are profound. As an artist, I was so moved by this because being an artist is a struggle in itself. I can identify with these struggles and I am now convinced that other artists will too.I was looking for a book I could use in my high school art room. This book is one I could definitely use. I feel my students would be intrigued by the story. I like the way the chapters are written in short segments. This structure makes for a fast and interesting read. Young adults, artists or not, will find a well-written and researched story of one of the most famous artists of this world. I look forward to reading future books by Deborah Heiligman. With this book she has brought to life a great story of an artist and the bond between two brothers. Neither Vincent nor Theo would have survived without the other.

I was not sure what to expect, but to my surprise, this book hooked me almost immediately. It's a biography of Vincent Van Gogh, but the focus is on the relationship between Vincent and his brother Theo, who pretty much supported him financially his entire adult life, as well as encouraging, showing, and critiquing his art. The writing style was kind of interesting - a combination of standard biography, mixed with little vignettes, which at times kind of had the staccato feel of a stop-action movie. I went through the Van Gogh museum last summer, and all I could think was how much more interesting the museum would have been if I had read this book first. An opportunity lost. The Museum was actually the inspiration for this book, as the author was intrigued to find out more about the relationship between the two brothers. One interesting note at the end of the book is that we have Theo's wife Johanna to thank for our ability to see and appreciate the works of Vincent. She was encouraged by some to just get rid of Vincent's paintings after Theo's death, which was only 2 years after Vincent. Had she done that, he might have just faded away. But she believed in Theo and Vincent, promoting Vincent's work, even after remarrying. Her son Vincent eventually founded the museum I visited last summer. Even if you have no plans to visit the museum in Amsterdam, I would still highly recommend this book.

I couldn’t wait to purchase this book as well as the audible part. First there’s not a lot in here I didn’t know from my past readings on Vincent Van Gogh..but I really didn’t know Theo was as sickly as he was?! For 3 nights I read & listened and literally when I fell asleep, my inside alarm clock kept waking me to finish..this went on for about 3 nights! I thought I’d go crazy! I’m thrilled with all the paintings, drawings and info on when each one was done! At the end we get to see a selection of his paintings and since I’m an artist I was thrilled! It just makes me want to purchase the hardcover NOW...At times I felt I was comparing it to Kirk Douglas, well how can you not? The movie was good but there’s nothing like his real life!My next plan is to finish another Van Gogh book and then re read “The Brothers” becuz listening takes a lot away..I’m thrilled it’s mine & NOT borrowed 👊👊 Excellent research by the author too with pages of when each drawing was done while he was dead broke and when each painting was done, more or less very depressed..you’ll have to find out the controversy re: his ear...that I never heard.A BIG 5 ⭐️ ON THIS & HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR EVERYONE 👊👊👊 Excellent writing ❤️❤️

Thank you so much for illuminating and backlighting all the Van Gogh exhibits I have ever attended including Amsterdam. The family dynamics speak volumes and will continue to echo with me. Lovely.

Vincent & Theo is part of my literature for my Adolescent Research and Evaluation class. I was not sure what to expect and did not read any summaries or reviews prior to starting the audible version. As I was purchasing the kindle, I saw the little add-on button for audible narration and thought, "hmmm I spend a ton of time in the car for work...I wonder if this has a good narrator." The answer is yes. Yes. Get this book and spend the extra few $$$ for the audible version. You can play it directly from the app anywhere. This book is well done and very engaging. At times the author paints a scene so vividly its as though you are there and can see it in front of you oils, brush strokes and all.

What a perfect portrait of Vincent and his brother! I thought the simplicity of the text struck just the right tone- direct, honest, and original, much like Vincent's own paintings. I had read so much about this artist in the past, including his letters to Theo, that I didn't expect to learn much more. What a surprise to find I came away from this book with a deeper understanding of Vincent and his art and the love the Van Gogh brothers had for each other. My daughter-in-law is a high school art teacher and I ordered her a copy for her classroom. I would give her mine, but I've already loaned it out. It's that kind of book, one that you want to share with everyone you know. (I rarely give five stars, but when I thought of all the books on Vincent that I've come across, I do believe that this one would be his favorite.

This book has received an award for "young fiction", but it can certainly be read and enjoyed by adults, too. The writing is straightforward and clear. I've come away with a far greater sense of the complexity of Vincent Van Gogh. He adored and tried to please his family, but they were mostly too socially respectable to cope with his disruptive nature. He tried to go into the family business, but the business was to sell popular art, not to make the sort of art Vincent envisioned. He tried to be faithful to the God his family worshiped, serving the poor and sick, but found religion too small to hold his spirituality. He was called to paint the world as he saw it, and was miserable unless he was painting. He went at the task of learning his craft with all his might and passion year after year, struggling with bouts of depression and with not belonging, and with not being able to have a family like other men. Nevertheless, he loved people and they loved him and found him wonderful, if infuriating. His brother, Theo, loved him dearly, and supported him, surviving him only by six months..We talk about mental illness as though it defined Vincent, yet he kept painting even in the asylum where he was forced to live during his most disabled periods, toward the end of his life. He lived around his illness as best he could, and created the transcendent art the world knows so well in spite of it. There is a credible doubt regarding the story that he killed himself. He went out into the fields to paint, and came back mortally wounded. No gun, nor his painting materials were ever found. Some say he was shot accidentally by boys and covered up for them.While mysteries remain, what I come away with is that he was a great soul, and that's what those who knew him best thought of him, too.

Vincentの困難な人生だけではなくTheoの苦しみもまた、よくわかる。『Van Gogh: The Life』 ペーパーバック – 2012/12/4　英語版 Steven Naifeh (著), Gregory White Smith (著)には記述のない、Theoの悲恋も描かれている。著者は、後書で、「一人っ子の自分には、兄弟姉妹のいる暮らしがとても興味深かった。それが、執筆の動機だ」と述べている。個人的な思いが普遍性を獲得した、いい作品である。

El libro llegó muy bien. Solo un pequeño detalle en la portada pero nada escandaloso

El libro me llegó súper rápido y bien empaquetado. Pedí la tapa blanda y me sorprendí de todos los detalles hermosos que tiene y sobre todo de la historia de los hermanos van Gogh y la forma en que la autora lo narra. Si eres fan de Vincent, y quieres conocer más acerca de su vida y de lo importante que fue Theo para su carrera sin duda es un libro que debes de leer <3

I loved this book. The design of this book with the illustrations is beautiful. I learnt a lot about the Van Gogh brothers & their friendship, it touched my heart. I also liked that the chapters are quite short,making it easy to dip in and out of. Recommended.