Fascinating romantic history of this enigmatic painter. Great research done on this topic, and you can see how some tragedy might have affected his mental health and his work. ( )

Highly recommend this book. It was well researched and well written. Ms. Russo, the author, recreated events in Van Gogh's life through letters and other material. She described the heartbreaks Van Gogh underwent even from the time of his birth as he took on the name Vincent from a previously deceased brother. It appears from the book that his mother never nurtured him and this fact seemed to color all his relationships for the rest of his life. Ms. Russo describes Van Gogh's loving relationship with his brother Theo who supported him throughout his life financially and emotionally. There were a series of women Van Gogh encountered through his life but he was never able to have a meaningful relationship with them because of his lack of nurturance as a child.
There is a lot to learn in reading this book about the loneliness and heartbreak Van Gogh endured despite his creating of beautiful art that has been loved by all even to this day. ( )