A review by baoluong
Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman

2.0

Loving Vincent is a love letter to a man who couldn’t love himself. I felt emotionally heavy like being submerged in water warmed by the sun. The romance of the struggling artist comes to a head from 10,000 hand painted frames illustrating the French countryside. The sweeping landscapes are populated by moving brushstrokes. My heart hurts seeing someone working through mental illness. Constantly misunderstood and not understanding what was wrong with himself, Vincent struggled to find inner peace. Although, make no mistake, Vincent’s talent is supported by hours of practice and not simply a result of his depression. He used art as a form of therapy but without medicinal treatment to financial security, Vincent fell victim to the time and circumstances.

So, as I delved into the life of Vincent again, I can’t help but miss a bit of the messiness. While the book fleshes out the lesser known parts of the artist’s life and even corrects some details it all comes across as dry. There’s a factualness to the narrative. It also doesn’t help that the perspective is in the third person and can jump to the future undermining what the characters felt at the time. In truth, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I would hope. It was like reading an except from one of those state tests instead of a book. The most interesting aspect of this book is the brothers’ relationship. A bond form from childhood and carried on throughout life. The two are in constant dialogue as one compromises in an effort to put his belief in his brother while the other searches for meaning in life determined to make his brother justified.

If anything, I learned quite a deal about Vincent’s journey to impressionist painting. It is often framed as a spark of genius out of the vacuum of creativity. I appreciate how this book incorporates banality as ingredients artists have to use in order to inform their practice.

I recommend this book to fine art enthusiasts who will enjoy discovering the hidden parts of creativity.

I love the colors and the hat as representation for the brothers. Too bad this is the most expressive the book will ever get.