A painting from the last days of Vincent’s life
This is the day, in 1890, that Vincent Van Gogh died. His cause of death is often stated as a suicide, but the evidence is/was far from conclusive.
According to Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, the authors of
Vincent very well have been murdered. Naifeh and Smith make a very compelling case and their book is meticulously, thoroughly and lovingly researched. A long read but never a slog.
Tree Roots and Trunks
Vincent van Gogh
Painting, Oil on Canvas
Auvers-sur-Oise: July, 1890
Van Gogh Museum
another painting from Vincent’s last days
Since it has not come out that he didn’t cut off his ear — it was probably Gaugin who did it in a fit of pique — his not having committed suicide seems very reasonable. Remarkable man. And thanks for the book recommendation.
I really loved the book – it’s huge, but the massive thoroughness of it all made it worth all those pages
And thanks for the Don McLean song, one of the greatest songs he has ever written. But the tittle on on the video is wrong. Many people think the song is called “Starry Starry Night” but it is actually called simply “Vincent”. I have three versions of it 😉
You are absolutely right- I was carried away by the tune and the images!
It is a mistake by many. You hear it often on the radio too said by people one would thing should know better 😉
Definitely on my radar now. I’ve read a few others books on Van Gogh, so it would be nice to read something that doesn’t assume he was crazy.
And I just noticed a typo that is significant in my comment — Since it has NOW come out…” — “not” makes it the opposite of what I wanted to say.
Interestingly, the swirls in the Starry Night painting are now being studied by physicists and mathematicians — because Van Gogh seems to have visually portrayed concepts we don’t understand well — but he “saw” them.