The Art and Life of Vincent Van Gogh: Loan Exhibition in Aid of American and Dutch War Relief, October 6, 1943 to November 7, 1943
Category: Books,Literature & Fiction,Literary
The Art and Life of Vincent Van Gogh: Loan Exhibition in Aid of American and Dutch War Relief, October 6, 1943 to November 7, 1943 Details
Reviews
THE ART AND LIFE OF VINCENT VAN GOGH is a true rarity, a softcover 127 page book produced in conjunction with a loan exhibition in aid of American and Dutch war relief. The show had a brief one-month run, from 10/6 to 11/7/1943, and for at least that fleeting moment several art treasures of the Netherlands were out of the reach of a Third Reich whose armies had invaded the country in May 1940, this despite its declared neutrality.In hindsight we know that at least one colorful Van Gogh work, "Painter on His Way to Work" was lost at the end of the war because of a Kaiser Friedrich Museum fire in Berlin, and there may be other sketches and oils of his that vanished during those terrible days.The oversized booklet is dedicated to Eleanor Roosevelt and Princess Juliana of the Netherlands. Honorary committee members include NY's Mayor LaGuardia and Gov. Dewey. Sponsors, subscribers and organizers are cited.Text is about a third of this work. It includes a few b&w photos of locations significant to the artist's life (his studio, the asylum, his place of death), also some handwriting repros. The main body is b&w plates of paintings and drawings owned by the Netherlands government, other museums and private parties, artworks both familiar and obscure.Clearly this is a mere overview of Van Gogh's output, which is estimated to be over 2,000 pieces during a ten year span, yet it does give us more than a taste of his unique talent and style. Recommended for serious Van Gogh text collectors, it's an item sure to increase in value with time.
