Who Shot Van Gogh? Turnbull, Alan. Published by Thames & Hudson, London, 2022. First Edition. 8vo up to 9½” tall., 256pp. index, bibliography, notes. Grey boards with yellow titles, red end papers. Blind stamp to lower edge of title page and otherwise contents are in fine, unread condition and housed in a fine dustjacket.
Fact or fiction? An imaginative assemblage of statements about Vincent van Gogh that challenges what we think we know about the artist’s much mythologized existence. Van Gogh is the most famous artist in the world, yet our understanding of his life is full of contradictions. Art historians, filmmakers, journalists, psychologists, and conspiracy theorists have offered theories on his life and work, yet their views are often poles apart. Van Gogh has been described as a suffering genius; a nature-loving innocent; a man of violence, a danger to himself and others; the embodiment of peace and compassion; a religious fanatic; a Marxist; a madman; a cultural commodity; and an investment opportunity. Where does the truth lie and the myth begin?
