|
The changing seasons captivated Vincent van Gogh (1853-90), who saw in their unending cycle the majesty of nature and the existence of a higher force. 'Van Gogh and the Seasons' is the first book to explore this central aspect of van Gogh's life and work. Van Gogh often linked the seasons to rural life and labor as men and women worked the land throughout the year. From his depictions of peasants and sowers to winter gardens, riverbanks, orchards, and harvests, he painted scenes that richly evoke the sensory pleasures and deprivations particular to each season. This stunning book brings to life the locales that defined his tumultuous career, from Arles, where he experienced his most crucial period of creativity, to Auvers-sur-Oise, where he committed suicide. It looks at van Gogh's interpretation of nature, the religious implications of the seasons in the era in which he lived, and how his art was perceived against the backdrop of various symbolist factions, antimaterialist debates, and esoteric beliefs in fin de siècle Paris. The book also features revealing extracts from the artist's correspondence and artworks from his own collection that provide essential context to the themes in his work Vincent van Gogh and the Seasons: Images of Nature and Humanity / Sjraar van Heugten -- 'To Everything there is a Season': The Rhythms of the Year in Vincent van Gogh's Socio-Religious Worldview / Joan Greer -- Conflicts of Interest: Vincent van Gogh and French Symbolism / Ted Gott -- The Seasons in van Gogh's Letters: A Selection / Sjraar van Heugten -- Vincent van Gogh Biography / Ted Gott -- Autumn / Laurie Benson, Ted Gott, Sophie Matthiesson -- Winter / Laurie Benson, Ted Gott, Sophie Matthiesson -- Spring / Laurie Benson, Ted Gott, Sophie Matthiesson -- Summer / Laurie Benson, Ted Gott, Sophie Matthiesson -- Van Gogh and Japanese Prints / Sophie Matthiesson -- Van Gogh's Collection of Prints / Ted Gott
|
