As someone who has a passion for Art this book was a great read with a good selection of imagery. The book gives an insight into Van Gogh's life and the challenges he faced with a mental illness. It gives a stark contrast as to how mental illness was treated back then. This book takes the reader on a journey through some of Van Gogh's difficult times and I thoroughly enjoyed the visual experience. Would highly recommend for all those Van Gogh fans and Art lovers!

Not ideal for Kindle version, you need the printed version for the photographs and illustrations. Interesting book with beautiful images. Thank you #NetGalley for the electronic book to review.

I've been fascinated by the life and works of Van Gogh. This book gives is a glimpse of what life might have been like during a dark valley and season. It is well written with some pages of art also. A must read for those wanting to know more about this artist.

I just reviewed Starry Night by Martin Bailey. #StarryNight #NetGalley

An account of the time Van Gogh spent at the asylum, a place where he conceived many of his most accomplished pieces of art work including Starry Night...

This book not only observes the techniques, landscapes and people included in these pieces but also the mental state of their composer. Yet instead of focusing negatively on Van Gogh mental "crisis'", it highlights how the artist was not only debilitated by them but also determined to continue his work.

With fascinating insights into the perspectives Van Gogh used in the art he completed during this time, including the beautiful countryside surrounding the asylum.

This account of Van Gogh’s year in the asylum in San Remy will be a welcome addition to the library of any Van Gogh lover. It is packed with detail and generously illustrated with beautifully reproduced plates of Vincent’s drawings and paintings from this period. Bailey takes pains to link these works with any information he could find about the subject of the picture and the state of Van Gogh’s mind when they were done. The author makes use of the artist’s letters to Theo (about one per week) and Theo’s replies (about one every two weeks). He also has searched for years to find additional sources such as the registry of Van Gogh’s admission to the asylum and medical reports. This is a rich book for Van Gogh lovers, one which will probably serve them as a future reference source as well as an enjoyable “read” about this period in the painter’s life.

I didn't know anything about Van Gogh before I read this but now I sure do. Each chapter tells an interesting part of his art journey while at the asylum with pictures of all his lovely work done while there. This book really takes you to that place and time.

This is a fascinating book about Van Gogh - not only as an artist, but as a patient in an insane asylum. It's a glimpse inside a dark place - and Van Goghs dark mind. His insanity drove him to extreme actions yet at other times he seems 'normal'

One of the main treats of this book is the multitude of paintings - Van Gogh's and others. That's worth "the price of admission" right there!

I thoroughly loved this incredible story about the dark and heartbreaking time in the life of Vincent Van Gogh, while placed in an asylum in San Remy, following an escalation of his mental illness. The book is beautifully illustrated with the works Van Gogh created during this time. It seems impossible that Vincent's gift, energy and inspiration in such a bleak and isolating setting resulted in so many masterpieces, including Starry Night. Martin Bailey dives into the records and research and paints his own picture of an artist driven to create some of the most captivating and stunning work while suffering from mental illness. Five strong stars for a book that will stay in my heart, a book that is more than a good read, it is a life lesson. Thank you Netgalley,publisher and author for this memorable work.

Starry Night takes a detailed look at the art Van Gogh produced during his time living at the Saint Remy asylum in 1889. In that year Van Gogh produced some of his best work, including the iconic Starry Night painting, however this was also a period of great pain, set in a beautiful backdrop.

I struggle sometimes with non fiction, possibly a side effect of my Uni days but my brain feels a great pressure to remember every fact and date like I’m revising. That said, Van Gogh has always fascinated me and the more I have read, and the more I have witnessed his work, the more I have felt a connection with him. This book is easy to digest and gives a fascinating and compassionate incite into the institute, the inmates and the turmoil Van Gogh experienced, as well as the art itself, such as the travels of Starry Night and how it survived being hung up in a conservatory (!!) and the pencil-drawn copies found by a soldier. This book not only looks at the man but the world in which he lived, up to it’s sad conclusion, a tragic parallel to Theo Van Gogh’s life at the same time.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review

Superb. I have always loved Van Gogh and will read anything new about him, so was pleased to see this focus on his time in the asylum. It’s usually glossed over but the author has gone to great lengths to explore the contemporary records, uncovering new information: images, names, even the weather. Essential for fans of Post-Impressionism. Lots of beautiful colour illustrations.

A look at Van Gogh's work while he was a patient at an asylum. Includes photos of places he took inspiration from, including the village of the famous Starry Night.

This book was visually stunning (of course!) and included art other than just Van Gogh. This is a gorgeous version of a Van Gogh coffee table book and focuses a bit more on his mental health and thoughts than other art albums do, which I genuinely enjoyed.

This book detailing the time that Van Gogh spent at the mental hospital as well as the paintings that he created there is well written and informative with fantastic images and well done citations. I enjoy art history and have been to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, but this book gives the reader a look into this year of Van Gogh's life and artwork that I haven't found anywhere else.

Having been a fan of Van Gogh for many years, hearing his story never fails to break my heart. Starry Night by Martin Bailey accounts Van Gogh's life at the asylum, his journey with art and mental health. It's informative, well-researched, and beautifully put together. I think this book will appeal to both art enthusiasts and casual readers. It digs deeper into how his environment influenced his mental state and how his mental state influenced his art, and what ultimately drove him to end his life. I wish Van Gogh knew that he's loved by the entire world.

Van Gogh’s Starry Night is arguably one of the most beautiful paintings ever created and this is the story of how it came to life. I’ve always loved the artist and known parts of his life in broad strokes (thank you, Doctor Who for filling in the blanks), but I didn’t know anything about this chapter in his story: How he spent a year in a mental institution, when he created indisputable masterpieces, despite being so ill. By limiting the scope of this book, Martin Bailey can dig deep into the context and circumstances. of Vincent’s life When you think of the biggest love stories in history it may not come up but the relationship between Vicent and his brother Theo is touching beyond words (Theo died shortly after Vincent, and they are buried together in unassuming graves). The author makes this relationship shine by including excerpts of their letters. It’s clear how Bailey researched his subject and he includes pictures of many original documents, photographs, maps and letters. The cherry on top is including the paintings that Vincent created during that time, which are all perfect. It makes you think, if he’d had access to modern medication, would he have been a happier man and, if so, would he have created such wonderful paintings? A great book for art lovers and Van Gogh fans.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion, Frances Lincoln!

I read Martin Bailey’s book Van Gogh’s Finale and was eager to read Starry Night: Van Gogh at the Asylum. Bailey’s engaging book demonstrates how the asylum and its environs impacted Van Gogh’s mental and creative life. Bailey writes that Van Gogh’s year at the asylum “witnessed a remarkable development” in his art, with more muted colors and more energetic, swirling brush strokes. His isolation from other artists allowed him to develop his own style.

The artist created one of the most beloved paintings in the world while during this time–The Starry Night, with its whirling colors of star-filled sky above a village with candlelit windows and a sliver moon shedding its golden light over the hillsides and orchards. I learned that the light area above the horizon was likely the Milky Way. The story of an ink drawing Van Gogh made of the painting, how it was looted during WWII and survived and was discovered and transported to safety, is amazing. Bailey discovered that the artist did not represent the actual sky as it would have been on the day of his painting, but used his imagination and memory to “create a stunning, highly personal vision.”


After Van Gogh’s breakdown that resulted in his mutilating his ear, he needed a safe place to reside. Saint-Paul-de-Mousole, near the town of Saint-Remy-de-Provence, was a better option than most ‘mad houses,’ with beautiful gardens and private rooms. Van Gogh resided there from May 8, 1889 to May 16, 1890. Bailey’s photographs of the hospital today reflect Van Gogh’s portrayal of the building in his time, the long hallways, the arched entry door opening to a fountain.

Bailey researched the patients at the asylum during the artist’s stay, and even met people from the village who had known the artist. He found what was perhaps the almond tree portrayed in the artist’s beautiful painting created for the birth of his brother’s son, and his namesake, Vincent Willem. The work was displayed in the family home while Vincent Willem was growing up.

Vincent Willem believed that his uncle’s breakdowns coincided with his father becoming engaged and starting a family, causing a fear of abandonment in the artist. Theo Van Gogh’s engagement was announced at the time Vincent had his falling out with Gaugin and his breakdown that caused his self-mutilation. The announcement that Theo’s wife Jo was pregnant precipitated another breakdown. Vincent was depended on Theo for art supplies and financial as well as emotional support, and he feared that with a wife and family that support would end.

Van Gogh would have spells of lucidity and productivity punctured by breakdowns and recoveries lasting several weeks. He was given an empty room for painting. When he was well, the doctor allowed him to travel into the countryside to paint. When ill, he tried to kill himself by ingesting his paints and other substances. After a year without a complete cure, Van Gogh left the asylum.

I always appreciate how Bailey enrichens my viewing of Van Gogh’s art. He notes that red pigments have faded and I can imagine the irises with a more violet hue, a pink sky a vivid red.

Many of the paintings were views from his workroom window, which had bars. He could see a wheat field, which he painted many times. Wheatfield in the Rain with its rain depicted by slashes of diagonal paint was inspired by Japanese art. It is a dismal scene.

It is horrifying to learn how many of Van Gogh’s paintings are lost. Portraits he gifted were unappreciated.

Bailey looks at the paintings by theme: enclosed garden, life inside, alienists (fellow patients at the asylum), wheat fields, the stars, the villages and landscape outside of the asylum, olive groves, cypresses, fellow travelers, self portraits, memories of his homeland, the almond blossom.

This October the Detroit Art Institute celebrates being the first American museum to purchase a Van Gogh work with a special exhibit, Van Gogh in America. I have my tickets already! There will be 70 works on exhibit. I can’t wait! And I appreciate Bailey’s books for preparing me to better interpret what I will see.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

This beautifully illustrated book is about the year that Vincent Van Gogh spent at the asylum in Saint-Remy. We have a chance to see and read about the place, treatments, and his life around the asylum. Even though he is there and has health problems, that is the period when he painted his most famous painting.
I enjoyed reading this book and is an excellent addition to the other books about Van Gogh's life and art.

I feel like i got to know a lot more about one of my favorite artists through this book.
And it wasn't only about his art but also about his mental illness and how he dealt with it during his stay at the asylum.
This is truly a deep dive in his psyche and his life dealing with it.
There was a lot of information here that I didn't know about and I'm blown away by it.
This was both fascinating and heart breaking.
It made me appreciate his art even more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Van Gogh is one of the most well-known painters. While he never achieved fame during his lifetime, his work was preserved by Jo, his sister in law, who was dedicated to sharing his art with the world. While a lot of people know the basics of his life, there's not a lot of focus on his time at Saint-Rémy, the asylum he spent a year living in. It was during this time Van Gogh was his most prolific, and many of his best known paintings-including Starry Night-were created. This book focuses on the art created during this time, while also giving a more in-depth look at Saint-Rémy and how living there impacted Van Gogh. There's a great mix of art, photographs, and other documents alongside the narrative. With a focus on the asylum, this book mentions not only Van Gogh's mental illness and how he struggled with it, but also the area itself and the other patients in much more detail that other biographies of him go into. I felt like I learned a lot from this book, though I'd recommend any future readers grab the book in print, because this book is (I assume) oversized, the pages do not format well in a digital format, making it annoying to read.

Thank you, Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion, for the advance reading copy.

The book is concise yet it has a lot of information which is amazingly compiled with full illustrations on Van Gogh's days at the Asylum. His works are portrayed with such insights that it is a pleasure to read this book.

The chapters are short. The presentation is really good. You will get to learn more about the artist which I feel we won't find from other sources.

Thank you, Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion, for the advance reading copy.