The drawings of Vincent van Gogh

Largely self-taught, Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) approached drawing instinctively, but he quickly realised the importance of mastering the fundamentals of art – anatomy, modelling, foreshortening, perspective – as well as materials and techniques, in order to convey his emotional responses to a subject as vividly as possible.

This comprehensive volume pays tribute to the genius and uniqueness of the artist’s creative output in the field of drawing. Organised by theme – from drawings depicting humble harvesters to landscape depictions, from melancholic studies of the living world to sketches of the Yellow House in Arles and other locations – Van Gogh’s works on paper are explored from a fresh perspective that traces the artist’s successes, failures, experiments, attempts and disappointments.

Drawing on examples from the artist’s extensive family correspondence and sketchbooks, as well as comparative works by Rembrandt, Dürer and other artists, this comprehensive analysis provides a better understanding of why drawing occupies such an important place in Van Gogh’s oeuvre and rivals the intensity and renown of his paintings.