Thursday 6 August 2020

Portrait of An Artist Vincent Van Gogh

Written by Lucy Brownridge

 

Illustrated by Édith Carron

 

ISBN: 978-1-78603-645-2

 

Published by Wide Eyed Editions

 

Reviewed by Karl Andy Foster

 

Publishers website https://www.quartoknows.com/books/9781786036452/Portrait-of-an-Artist-Vincent-van-Gogh.html?direct=1

 

Édith Carron’s website https://edithcarron.net

 

Pitch

A cultural titan who still influences the art world more than 100 years after his death. He is a man who is so well known and loved as a result of his tragic suffering, the letters to and from his brother Theo and his peerless artworks. If you publish a book about Vincent Van Gogh it is bound to succeed.


Review

A famous face stares out at us from the cover of this hardback book. Vincent Van Gogh is surrounded by the subjects of his trade; sunflowers, cypress trees and a swirling combination of clouds and sky. A palette that is evocative of a sun blasted summer’s day. This is a portrait of an artist who was unlike any other in the history of western art. Wide Eye Editions have published an enjoyable addition to their series that features great artists and their lives.

 

Édith Carron has done a remarkable job considering that she is competing with examples of Van Gogh’s own works. Her bright unfussy colours and delicate pencil work are combined to create the tableaux of his life and times on double page spreads. With a few well-placed marks Carron is able to suggest fine detail but without over-working her drawings.

 

This painful tale is handled with sensitivity and restraint by Lucy Brownridge. She allows us to see all the key moments from Vincent’s short life. If a young reader wants to know more about the history behind the paintings then this can be found on the last three pages of the book. This compliments the story and adds some important details about his more famous paintings.

 

This is the story of a man who lost his life as lovers often do in fables of long ago. There was possibly no other artist of this period capable of creating a work like The Starry Night – sublime. This is a simple but effective addition to the many books on this subject. Why would you want another book about Van Gogh I hear you say? I say, you would want this one!

 

 

17 October 2019






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