Van Gogh, the genius painter who lived a stormy life,
His great works and life are presented in a single book.

The book "Van Gogh: Paintings of a Life," which vividly portrays Van Gogh's dramatic life and artistic world, has been published.
The book divides Van Gogh's life into five periods in chronological order, providing a rich introduction to his early works, his representative works, and his final works.
Not only does it cover a variety of genres, including watercolors and oil paintings, but it also includes sketches and letters, helping readers gain a deeper and more accurate understanding of Van Gogh's artistic world.
In particular, the high-definition illustrations, in which each brushstroke seems to breathe alive, will give you an overwhelming feeling as if you were standing in the Van Gogh Museum or the Kröller-Müller Museum.

The story of Van Gogh, told by author Kim Young-sook, who has been loved by readers through numerous art bestsellers, is fascinating in itself.
The author's writing delicately captures the artist's anguish, his turbulent life, and even the breath of the times, and is as vivid as a well-made art documentary, drawing you in without realizing it.
As Van Gogh's beautiful pilgrimage unfolds on every page, readers will finally be able to fully encounter the shining moments of art he pursued throughout his life.

Van Gogh began to receive painting instruction from Anton Mauve, the husband of his cousin and a renowned painter in The Hague.
Still Life with Clogs is one of the first oil paintings he created under Mauve's guidance, having previously only done sketches and drawings.

The painting depicts neatly arranged wooden clogs, a rustic-looking earthenware vessel that seems as if it will release a sweet smell when opened, an empty bottle filled with regrets that seem to still have a story to tell, and a table that counts down the hours, swallowing up all the light and shadows that come its way. It seems to contain the dozens of questions Van Gogh asked himself: “What will my brother-in-law think of my painting? Will he say this is okay?”
---From "Still Life with Straw Shoes"

In February 1886, after spending about four months in Antwerp, Van Gogh arrived unexpectedly in Paris, where Theo was working.
Theo moved into a house at 54 rue Le Pic in Montmartre with a studio for his brother.
The painting is a view of the Rue de Clichy from Van Gogh's new studio.

At that time, it was impossible to communicate in the Parisian art world without knowing about Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism.
If the Impressionists were those who quickly captured with a brush the image that caught their eye in an instant and pursued a perfection that seemed unfinished, then the Neo-Impressionists actively used the so-called pointillism method, which involved densely applying small dots of primary colors.
This painting can be seen as a demonstration of Van Gogh's mastery of the 'pointillism' technique and his own unique use of it.
---From "Paris View from Van Gogh's Room in the Lepic"

Arriving in Arles a few days before March 1888, it was unexpectedly snowing.
Van Gogh, unfazed by the cold, eagerly went out into the fields and captured the tranquil landscape of the snow-covered village.
A man walking with a dog through a snowy field in the peaceful late winter looks like Van Gogh, finally finding his place.

Even though it is not a painting drawn in detail and exquisitely with delicate brushstrokes, the snow, fields, roofs, people, dogs, mud, trees, and all these things wandering around in color have a strange power that makes you jump into the landscape.
If you put your hand deep into the canvas and take it out, it feels like snow will get all the way up to your wrist.
---From "Snowy Landscape"

After the ear-cutting incident, Van Gogh was hospitalized and diagnosed with various conditions, including syphilis, epilepsy, alcoholism, and schizophrenia.
On May 8, 1889, van Gogh voluntarily admitted himself to the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy, about 30 kilometers from Arles.
Theo gave his brother two hospital rooms so he could work comfortably and focus on his treatment.


As he was prohibited from leaving the hospital, Van Gogh took walks in the inner garden and along the paths, painting what he saw.
Where the brush, heavy with paint as much as the amount of passion, passed, pine trees grew thick, and flowers bloomed among the thicket of leaves.
The garden is full of flowers in full bloom and fresh leaves reaching their peak of green.
He is depicted sitting under the shade of a flower, diligently painting with his brush, his energy finally restored.
---From "The Garden of the Saint-Rémy Asylum"

After returning from a trip to Paris to see Theo and his wife and his nephew, Van Gogh became noticeably depressed.
Perhaps his doubts about his previous, unpaid sincerity had led him to think he wanted to end it? Van Gogh often went out to the wheat fields.
The unresolved frustration is sometimes expressed as despair, and sometimes as hope with the modifier 'nevertheless'.

The endless green wheat fields move here and there, following the wind that Van Gogh created by pressing down thick layers of paint.
As Van Gogh's green dream faded beyond the horizon, bruised and blue, the red poppies fell with it, dropping their petals like blood.
The clouds, which were sure to bring storm and thunder, hurriedly chased after Van Gogh.

---From "Wheat Field Under Thunder Clouds"