Recommended Art Books
Before David went into the hospital I started reading Martin Gayford's The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine Turbulent Weeks in Provence. I had a hard time putting it down and it was by my side every moment that I was by David's side. Whenever he slept or rested, I had it in my hands. It proved to be not only an excellent distraction but also a very well written, heavily researched and intriguing read. I actually felt like I was there. Any book that begins with the story of an artist eager to start an artist's colony to share ideas and experiences is going to draw me in immediately.
"Old Gauguin and I understand each other basically, and if we are a bit mad, what of it?"
I'm tired of the typical view of Van Gogh as tortured and troubled artist. There was so much more to him than being known as the crazy artist who cut off his ear. I have tons of Van Gogh books and am deeply fascinated by the man and the artist. Other than his meticulous and well written letters, this was the first book that really gave me a sense of both the man and the artist. Hands down, it is one of the most well written books about an artist I've ever read. My only beef is that the paintings were shown in black and white instead of the glorious color that they are. I solved this problem by carrying around a pocket sized book of Van Gogh's paintings.
I finished The Yellow House yesterday afternoon and was wondering what to read next. I looked around at my shelves and Charlotte: A Novel jumped out at me. I picked that up late last night and was irritated when David told me he wanted to go out for a walk because that meant having to put the book down (my poor husband! It was his first walk in more than a week!) I obliged and am eager to pick the book up again. It seems like a fast read (once you see how the format is, you'll understand what I'm talking about.)
What are your favorite books about artists?
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