From the same graphic novel series as Gauguin, this one is of course about Vincent van Gogh. It centers around the time period he spent in southern France, when he lived in the little yellow house, leading up to and after the incident when he cut off his ear. A fact which used to horrify and shock me when I was younger, but now reading more about his probable mental illness, I just feel sad and dismayed at the enormous distress he must have been in. This book doesn’t speculate much on what his illness actually was though. It depicts his life and some conversations, interactions with his brother Theo (based on his many letters), with other artists and some of the general public. He was consumed with the desire to paint, to share his vision, to capture the beauty of the landscape he saw around him. Struggling to make ends meet, mostly supported by his brother, unable to keep himself or his rooms tidy, often driving people away with his ranting about ideals on art and his vision. At least, it seemed like that to me- the story shows Gauguin coming to stay with him in the little yellow house, where they worked side by side for a while, until Gauguin couldn’t take the intensity anymore and left. Vincent had episodes of depression and then frenetic energy, shown with the panels darkened by lots of black or grey dots diffusing everything, or his nonstop talking, and sometimes jagged lines surrounding him in a kind of aura. I interpreted that as showing his anxiety. It also depicts a period of time he spent in an asylum, though of course the treatment for his illness was probably rudimentary. This book doesn’t have a visual style mimicking that of the artist as closely as the Gauguin one did, but there were numerous scenes, sketches and paintings I recognized, and near the end quite a few shown with the many small energetic brushstrokes that look so familiar. I’m glad I read this one- it was quick and easy to get through, it felt expressive even though the drawings are simple in style, and I feel like I know quite a bit more about Van Gogh now.
Borrowed from the public library.
