truly never thought of Van Gogh in this light... all of my studies obviously centered around his life as a starving artist. I was delighted these two scholars of Van Gogh provided such a different focus: the four "loves" of his life. Tragedy in love - told with wisdom and the vision of the co-authors - in bringing forth the humanity of the great Van Gogh. Ms. Heenk's work offers a privileged perspective - having lived in the artist's homeland and easy access to supporting history - all providing an edge to write in a scholarly manner. How delightful it is, then that her writing does not hold an academic platform, but is a great read that serves up a vivid portrayal of Van Gogh's life - particularly for those who are a student of the arts or Van Gogh. The book challenged me to review some of Van Gogh's paintings - seeking to look at them with another dimension... from a different perspective - trying to see the depth of his inner turmoil and appreciating more the art he brought the world in the midst of it all. Kudos on this collaborative project; very well written - leaving readers both an interesting and enlightening read.

The paintings of Van Gogh fill a number of coffee table books that decorate various rooms in my home. Truly, for me his paintings are genius. However, not having studied the history of it all, this book was definitely eye opening. I cannot help but feel sad for him, and it seems obvious that the intensity in his paintings comes from the intensity in his emotional approach to life. This book did a fantastic job of explaining that, including his move to more dramatic colors as his situation worsened. Very well done! A must read for all of us with these coffee table treasures but limited understanding to the challenges of Van Gogh's personal life and struggles with love.

Nienke Bos, an art historian specialized in Dutch art and art criticism of the late 19th and early 20th century, having been deeply involved in the respected traveling exhibition, 'Divisionism: from Van Gogh and Seurat to Mondrian'. She is partnered in this Volume 4 of the Secrets of Van Gogh series with Liesbeth Heenk, a Dutch art historian specializing in Vincent Van Gogh (her PhD thesis from Courtauld Institute of Art in London was on Van Gogh's drawings). Beginning her career in international museums and auction houses she started her own company - Amsterdam Publishers - a primary resource for museum catalogues and art related eBooks. It is with considerable research into the life and art of Vincent Van Gogh that they are presenting 5 books on varying aspects of the artist's oeuvre and life. VAN GOGH AND LOVE, one would wish, would be a happy series of love affairs or lasting encounters for the gifted artist, but as the authors point out Van Gogh was as unlucky in love as he was in making a living from his passion for painting what are not some of the greatest masterpieces of the art world. The book focuses on the four primary 'loves of his life' - Kee Vos (his cousin's widow), the lady of the night Sien Hoornik, his neighbor Margot Begemann (suicidal) and the café owner Agostina Segatori (who displayed his painting in her Paris cafe- models, supporters, but ultimately unable to cope with the man Van Gogh. The information shared is in the form of letters to his brother Theo and many of these passages quoted are poetically tragic. The stories of these four 'romances' are relayed with wisdom and solace and with the authors' keen eye for finding the humanity in it all.