The Letters of Vincent van Gogh
A Critical Study
As the first literary critical study of Vincent van Gogh’s
letters, The Letters of Vincent van Gogh presents the
painter’s letters as purposeful imaginative creations that chart
van Gogh’s evolving conception of himself as an artist.
Description
As Grant demonstrates, quite apart from furnishing a highly revealing self-portrait of their author, van Gogh's letters are compelling for their imaginative and expressive power, as well as for the perceptive commentary they offer on universal human themes.
Through a subtle exploration of van Gogh’s contrastive style of thinking and his fascination with the notion of imperfection, Grant illuminates gradual shifts in van Gogh's ideas on religion, ethics, and art. He also analyzes the metaphorical significance of a number of key images in the letters, which prove to yield unexpected psychological and conceptual connections, and probes the relationships that surface when the letters are viewed as a cohesive literary product.
The result is a wealth of new insights into van Gogh’s inner landscape.