Hans Luijten

After reading about Jo van Gogh-Bonger in books about Vincent van Gogh, her brother-in-law, I was curious to learn more about her. “This biography is about Jo’s tenacity, her boundless dedication and her surprisingly multilayered life,” Hans Luitjen writes in the forward.

Jo is a compelling character, encountered through quotes from her letters and diaries. A dreamy, idealistic, serious girl, Jo read widely and scrutinized herself through a diary, endeavoring to be kind, holding herself to high standards. She longed for love as she also longed to expand her world and embrace freedom. She was an activist in later life.

Jo married Theo van Gogh, Vincent’s brother and art seller. The marriage had its ups and downs before Theo’s early death shortly after his brother’s suicide. Theo had worked to educate Jo in contemporary art, but she had disappointed him. Now, she had control over Vincent’s work. She dedicated herself to promoting his art, getting it exhibited, and selling it. Part of the estate also had to be preserved for her son Vincent.

Jo had met Vincent after the birth of her child Vincent, after he left the asylum. The artist brought the beautiful painting of almond blossoms for the nursery. It stayed in the family.

It was Jo who translated Vincent’s letters into English and sought their publication. It was Jo who saw the first of Vincent’s work go into museums. This month I will see the Van Gogh in America exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Art, which in 1922 was the first museum in America to purchase a Van Gogh.

The author dismisses that Vincent feared that marriage would removed his brother’s financial and emotional support. In a letter, Theo told Jo that his brother “kept urging me to try to marry you.”

The book is filled with details of the provenance of Vincent’s work that art history scholars will appreciate.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.… (altro)

Jo van Gogh-Bonger by Hans Luijten is an excellent biography of this phenomenal woman as well as a nice look at how Vincent van Gogh's legacy was created and nurtured.

I have been very lucky the past few days to be reading two excellent biographies. While I usually enjoy learning about the figures, I am often less than impressed with biographies as pleasurable reading experiences. These have been both very informative and tremendously enjoyable. The other, by the way, is A Mystery of Mysteries by Mark Dawidziak.

Many people with an interest in van Gogh's art knows how import both his brother and his sister-in-law were in his ability to paint and in his reputation. What many of us didn't know was just how much effort Jo put into it and, even more hidden, just how remarkable she was. This volume corrects those omissions and does so with an eye toward celebrating her life and work.

I will second another review I saw that mentioned how wonderful the van Gogh Museum is. To think that it not only wouldn't exist, but we might also never have heard of Vincent, if not for Jo.

While I would obviously recommend this to art history buffs as well as van Gogh afficionados in particular, I think anyone who simply loves a good biography will enjoy this book.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (altro)