Review: What an interesting little book.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 29, 2012
I have always loved several of Van Gogh's more famous paintings, especially Starry Night, Sunflowers, and his wheat fields. So when I saw this title I thought it might be a chance to learn more about the artist. This book is like an appetizer to a great dinner--just enough to whet you appetite. I like how she describes the visit of most viewers to an art gallery or a museum and how little we actually enjoy the paintings because we don't know how to really look at them. Most of us rush past the pretty pictures without really seeing how the feelings of the artist are expressed in the brush strokes and thickness or "blobs" of paint indicating the artist's interpretation of the reality of the object being shown. If that doesn't make sense, you need to read the book--she explains it much better. Now I want to look up the websites she refers to and read more of Vincent's letters. I want to see his pictures and make note of how the colors reflect where he was living when the painting was made. The author has certainly made me hungry for more.