First and foremost, thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

This book explores Vincent Van Gogh’s life from the very beginning until his tragic demise, through the lens of his sister-in-law. It is with beauty, longing and sadness that we get to see a glimpse of Van Gogh’s life, his art and several beautiful illustrations that bring Vincent’s story to life. I really enjoyed the depiction of Van Gogh’s life, but bear in mind that this is, in no way, a deep analysis of the artist; however, it is still a great way to know more about him.

I am a pretty big art history fan and am a particular fan of Vincent Van Gogh. There has been a huge push into telling his life story in the past few years, and each has told a different narrative. I liked that this biography was told from the perspective of his sister-in-law, but I did not think the perspective of his story was very nuanced or objective. It seems as if the biography is pushing a rather outdated understanding of his life story that some scholars have proven to be inaccurate.

This was a NetGalley book [original due date <b>8.6.2024</b>] with a 'download by' date of <b>6.27.2024. I downloaded it a couple of days before to read ad when I opened it, the whole book was empty, with no words and only 2 pages of illustrations [I deleted it and downloaded it again to no avail as there was still no words and this time no illustrations either]. Thankfully, I was able to get it at the library [<b>FLP OverDrive</b>] when it was published. The review is below.

This is a brilliant and comprehensive biography [filled with bright, colorful illustrations as well as re-creations of Vincent's works] of the genius that was Vincent van Gogh, and of the brother [Theo] that loved him to distraction [regardless of his own health and status], and the sister-in-law [Jo] who also loved him, enough to complete the work that Theo set out to do [and charged Jo to finish when he himself died not long after Vincent's death], which was to show the world the brilliance and beauty of Vncent's work. The story is sad, not for the faint of heart, and frustrating, but also beautiful because of the love they all shared [along with Jo and Theo's son Vincent, named after his beloved Uncle, who was instrumental in getting the Van Gogh Museum opened] and the love they had of Vincent's work.

Very well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon Elliot, and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion/Frances Lincoln for providing this [unreadable] ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5? The art in some places was a little bit simple and not matching the style of Van Gogh but in other places there were gorgeous renditions of his works. It was interesting though to see his story in the POV of his sister in law Jo who was a big part of his eventual success

I'm an avid fan of art and try to visit local museums when I travel to a new city. I didn't know much about Van Gogh before reading this graphic biography, other than he had a bleak life. This book was very grim, unfortunately mirroring the difficult life that Vincent lived. It was a peculiar choice to have the story told from the perspective of his sister in law rather than the author himself. The author had a big order to fulfill and I believe he achieved half of it. The author tried to recreate Van Gogh's paintings in his own style, which was a daunting task. You can't duplicate masterpieces and the rendition came off rather shoddy. The biography element was more of an info dump than a fluid revelation of the artist's life. This comic was very depressing, but at least I learned a few things. It was a fantastic idea to showcase Vincent Van Gogh's life in a visual format, even if it was more blurry than Starry Night.

This was a short, at times endearing book that gave an interesting pictorial format to the vicissitudes and wonders that characterised the life of Van Gogh. As an art history student, with a deep, enduring adoration of Van Gogh, as an individual and artist, I am always intrigued by new renderings of his story despite being thoroughly informed of it already. His was a figuratively and literally vibrant existence that, in theory, invites a colourful, snappy, graphic adaptation; unfortunately, I am not entirely convinced that this publication managed to effectively portray this.

Elliott chooses to tell Vincent's story from the perspective of Jo Van Gogh-Bonger (the wife of his brother, Theo), who was indisputably the unparalleled force behind the eventual, universal fame of her brother-in-law. I have read other accounts of Vincent's life and work that have similarly been penned from the vantage point of the Van Gogh relatives, usually aiming for a fair contextualisation of their relative's artistic endeavours. In my opinion, it is a worthy angle to take so long as one remembers that these familial machinations should never supersede the innate ambition and fervour of Vincent; for example, he wouldn't have asked for financial aid from his brother had he not wholly believed in his passion for art; likewise his brother wouldn't have given him it. What I feel so many authors fail to understand, or illustrate, in their depictions of the Van Gogh brothers is just how much faith they had in each other, for there is invariably this underlying sense of mercantile coldness; Vincent using Theo for money; Theo maintaining a saintly role of benefactor; conversing about the price of paint, canvases, and an artists' commune. Theoretically, by Elliot giving us Jo's first-person discussion of the circumstances, there should have been a sense of the emotional adjudicator throughout the text indicating her personal, interactive knowledge regarding the brothers, their joys and their woes. It is with great disappointment that I have to say that such presumed insight fell shockingly hollow, undiscerning and, once more, notably prejudicial towards Vincent on financial matters. Not only did Jo's, art historically vociferous, character quickly become limpid and mawkish but, in turn, her representations of other players in the story (especially Vincent) became similarly lacking in vitality and complexity.

Sadly, I think this lack of palpable characterisation was less remedied by the graphic nature of the book, and more likely emphasised by comparable detractors in the art. Personally, when I looked at the cover art for this publication I had expected each page to present a wonderfully vivid, Van Gogh-esque design covering the white of the paper in glorious whorls of the brightest colours. Instead, I found that an overwhelming number of the graphics within were not only small (large areas of white pervaded where I'd expected at least a background design/colour) but remarkably unlike the style of Vincent, which made for rather peculiar and jarring compositions where Elliott's Vincent is enveloped within a much more accurate representation of 'Starry Night' or 'Wheatfield with Crows'. Of course, I cannot be sure that the intention was to create the graphics to be reminiscent of Vincent or that was in fact an erroneous assumption of my own, but either way I felt that they severely lacked the resplendent, emotive verve that I believe belongs in any written or visual ode to Van Gogh.

I am also interested to know/find out the desired audience for this book. There were several occasions, both at the beginning and the end, where I certainly felt the methodology of combined easy history/inspiration aimed at children, but there are also direct mentions of prostitution and later depictions of Vincent in the throes of a breakdown, blood pouring from his ear. On these latter accounts, my previous understanding of its appropriateness for children appears rather flayed, however, I also don't see this publication being particularly gripping or informative for teenagers and adults for it is neither immensely detailed nor innovative in its storytelling.

As I mentioned briefly, at the beginning of this review, I do firmly believe a graphic retelling of Vincent van Gogh's life to be a fascinating idea and a supremely effective way of getting across his personality and experiences to more varied audiences. Unfortunately, I cannot confidently say that Elliott's book achieves either of these things, in a visually appealing or factually nuanced manner.

Vincent Van Gogh was a visionary whose genius and struggles were never fully understood in his lifetime. Presenting his life in this format is a refreshing way to engage readers who may be curious about the man behind the legend.

I’m a massive fan of the artist, so was I drawn in with the striking cover design. My attention was held by the fact that it focused on how his sister-in-law was his biggest champion. I really do hope this book reaches a wide audience, as I think it’s a wonderful endeavour.

I love all things VVG but this one didnt really hit the mark. It was missing something, felt rather simple.

I've been really enjoying graphic biographies recently, so I was excited to see this one up for grabs on NetGalley. The format is such a fantastic way to introduce non-fiction in an accessible way. However, this one wasn't my favourite for that. What I look for most in graphic biogs is an easy-access entry point to a figure I don't know much about without too much dense text. Unfortunately, this felt far too text-heavy for me, and made me wonder why it was a graphic novel at many points. The art itself is stunning, and it feels like it should have been trusted more to convey some of the information that was instead included in paragraphs of text. I feel like this would have been a much nicer reading experience for me if it either let the illustrations do more of the talking, or if it leant into the text-heaviness and provided this as a short non-fiction book with illustrations throughout. It felt like it relied too much on the text for a graphic biog, but it was slightly too image-heavy to be a traditional biog.

That being said, I still enjoyed this. Vincent is one of those historical figures who just lends himself to a book like this, as evidenced by other similar titles like Vincent by Barbara Stok, and I think a graphic novel is the exact way to tell the story of this fascinating life. Having this book told through the lens of Jo (Johanna) van Gogh-Bonger, Vincent's sister-in-law, was a stroke of genius from Elliott, as it allows for a retrospective view of not only Vincent's life, but the impact of Vincent on his brother, Theo (Jo's husband). Jo was, in many ways, the van Gogh left behind to tell the stories of the men she loved, and this book feels as much of an homage to her as it is to Vincent.

I enjoyed and would recommend this graphic novel! I definitely learnt more about Vincent and his family and his life. I did feel a bit lost at times and did feel that perhaps the writer relied on the reader having some knowledge of art and artists from this time period and when I didn’t have this knowledge some elements and chapters were hard to follow. I enjoyed the art style and how it was similar to Vincent's personal style!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC

I have always loved Vincent and consider him one of my favorite artists and while I knew the bare bones of his background, this story goes into much more depth in a very neat and artistic way. Everything is told from the POV of his sister-in-law Jo (Which makes sense) and I truly enjoyed the quotes that were sprinkled into the text from both her, Theo and Vincent. The renditions of the art were really interesting too and you can see a lot of depictions of Vincent's art in this novel. Learning more about Vincent's life through this novel made me cry a little. I knew he'd faced lots of hardships in his life but I didn't know the full extent of some of his bouts of illness and depression. I loved that through it all both Theo and Jo stood by his side as well as other friends Vincent had. I'll be forever grateful to Jo and her son (also named Vincent) for helping people see the importance of Vincent's work.

‘Vincent: A Graphic Biography’ by Simon Elliott is a captivating graphic novel that delves into the life of the legendary artist Vincent van Gogh, presenting his story in a visually engaging format that appeals to a wide audience.

Plot: ★★★★☆

Van Gogh is an immensely fascinating individual, and it's always wonderful to see more books about him, especially in a format that is more accessible to a wider range of people. The plot effectively covers the major milestones of van Gogh's life, providing a comprehensive and engaging narrative.

Character: ★★★★☆

The portrayal of van Gogh feels very much in line with what is known about him. The graphic novel format allows for a deeper emotional connection to his character, highlighting his passion, struggles, and unique vision.

Illustrations: ★★★★☆

The illustrations really encompass van Gogh and his life. They are vibrant and evocative, capturing the essence of his art and the intensity of his experiences. The visual style complements the narrative beautifully, bringing van Gogh's story to life in a way that is both engaging and aesthetically pleasing.

Engagement: ★★★★☆

The book is very engaging, thanks to its graphic format. The combination of visual storytelling and textual narrative keeps readers hooked, making it an ideal way to introduce van Gogh's life to those who might find traditional biographies less appealing.

Readability: ★★★★☆

The readability is excellent, with clear and concise language that complements the illustrations. The graphic novel format makes the story accessible and easy to follow, ensuring that readers of all ages can appreciate the life and work of van Gogh.

Enjoyment: ★★★★☆

The book is very enjoyable, providing both an educational and entertaining experience. Readers will appreciate the detailed depiction of van Gogh's life, and the engaging presentation makes it a delightful read for both fans of the artist and newcomers.


‘Vincent: A Graphic Biography’ by Simon Elliott is a well-crafted and engaging graphic novel that brings the story of Vincent van Gogh to life. With its accurate portrayal, stunning illustrations, and accessible format, it is a wonderful addition to any reader's collection, offering an inspiring and visually appealing look at the life and work of one of history's most beloved artists.

Thanks to the book in the 'Small People, BIG DREAMS' series, I rekindled my interest in one of my favorite painters, Vincent van Gogh. Despite having visited his museum and read about him in various art books, I felt the need for more detail, depth, and insight into his life and struggles.

Jo van Gogh-Bonger, Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law, played a crucial role in cementing his name and fame. This graphic novel narrates Vincent's story through Jo's eyes, covering the van Gogh family's journey up until the artist's death and Jo's subsequent efforts to gain critical approval and global recognition for Vincent's paintings. The story is complex and poignant, with illustrations and text that vividly convey the challenges and pain experienced by van Gogh. The novel delves into his problematic relationships, religious fervor, failures, and constant relocations, offering a multifaceted view of his life and work.

Although Jo didn't write the book herself, the narrative feels authentic and believable. Only towards the end do some parts feel slightly exaggerated or implausible, but overall, the "family member's perspective" provides an intimate and close account. The illustrations, inspired by Vincent's paintings, add a layer of authenticity and help the reader visualize the settings and subjects that captivated the artist. This detail enhances the reader's understanding and appreciation of van Gogh's work. After finishing the book, I felt a strong urge to revisit the van Gogh Museum to admire the artworks I had learned more about.

The graphic novel also piqued my interest in reading a more detailed biography and the letters that Jo translated and shared with the world. Jo van Gogh-Bonger was an incredibly brave and tenacious woman who changed the course of art history. If you prefer a concise and visually engaging account over lengthy biographies, this book is perfect. It's easy to read, relatively short, and filled with illustrations. I definitely plan to add a physical copy to my collection. Highly recommended!

Thank you so much, NetGallery and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion, for this wonderful reading experience and for the ARC copy!

Review in Estonian (Aug 29, 2024): https://brixieblog.wordpress.com/2024/08/29/vincent-a-graphic-biography-simon-elliott/

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Vincent: A Graphic Biography is a quick read, but if like me, you are easily undone by all things Van Gogh, this book might take an emotional toll on you.

While it is no surprise that Van Gogh experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows throughout his life, it is still devastating to read about it all. Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, Vincent's sister-in-law, and the subsequent champion of his work, narrates this book. She presents a succient recounting of Van Gogh's life, from his upbringing in the Dutch countryside, all the way to his final days in Auvers-sur-Oise.

I wished this book included more details about Van Gogh's paintings, but apart from that, it serves as a great beginner's guide to anyone looking to delve into the exhilarating and tortured world of Vincent Van Gogh.

Told from the perspective of Vincent’s sister in law, this graphic memoir is truly captivating. I learnt things about the artist that I hadn’t before, and found it interesting that is was told in a story like way following his and his brothers death. The illustrations in this book are also lovely and I would greatly recommend this for a quick, factual read.

Biography Genre has always been my favourite. The name is someone whose art I grew up seeing in every part of art from accessories to any book covers. Especially his Starry Night art work is so popular that there is no artistic space where it has not been used. Although his name was known much later, I knew him only by the name of his art.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion for making this book available for my honest review.

I started reading books about Vincent William Van Gogh, his artwork, his life. I didn't know much about him and thought he might have struggled and become famous like other artists. His life must have been tragic, he was plagued with mental health and other issues. But I wonder to know that in his lifetime he sold only one painting, he was not famous nor did he try. As I started reading his life was narrated by a woman. She is Johanna Van Gogh-Bongerr (Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law). Because of her, today's era knows about Vincent van Gogh and he became so famous. Of course, Vincent van Gogh's art style is known to the world, but Jo was the main in bringing his artwork to everyone. This is a fascinating story of not so much Vincent Van Gogh, but also the story of Jo van Gogh-Bonger. That's the reason, the last chapter of this book is for Jo named "The Woman Who Made Van Gogh: All for Vincent".

Also their family bonding especially between Vincent's brother Theo and him. Everything Vincent was doing and drawing was communicated by letter to his brother Theo, even when Vincent was in the asylum. The letters included explanations of his artwork, which later made Jo's job easier to convince people of how talented Vincent was. Vincent was so special to Theo that Theo and Jo's son was named Vincent Van Gogh. Their bonding was so strong that 6 months after Vincent's departure, Theo left Earth in Asylum!

The book is written in very simple and easy language. If you are interested in Vincent this book can be recommended. Every moment of his life has been tried to be expressed which can be called the strength of Graphic Nobel.

I have always been a huge fan of Van Gogh’s artwork. I think this book is a brilliant way to introduce children to Van Gogh’s artwork, while also making them aware of the hardship he suffered in his lifetime. It’s a beautiful way of honouring both Vincent and his sister-in-law Johanna, who worked so hard to get his work recognised posthumously.

I feel information was portrayed in an effective and informative way, and having it written from Johanna’s perspective adds personalization to the story.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Van Gogh or anyone who would like to learn about his life!

It is incredibly fitting to tell Vincent van Gogh’s life story in a graphic format. The artwork is beautiful yet simple; renderings of his actual paintings have that Vincent style while still retaining the style of the rest of the images as well. This graphic biography really paints the picture of his highs and lows. It is also so fitting for the artist who signed his work with his first name, forging a connection between artist and viewer, to have his story narrated by someone (his sister-in-law) who knew him closely so as to make it feel as though we are all old friends by the end. Vincent’s family strife, struggles with his mental health, and artistic studies are all outlined. In truth, this is not just a story of Vincent Van Gogh but also of Jo, Theo, and their son Vincent. The tragedies and triumphs of the lives and deaths of the van Gogh family will stick with you. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the eARC of Vincent: A Graphic Biography. I have always loved Van Gogh's work and have learned a lot about him over the years as I have studied his work. This graphic novel helped add some details about his life that I didn't know, and really portrayed his mental illness struggles in a respectful way. I also appreciated the colors and vibe of the illustrations and how they match well with Van Gogh's visions.

Oh goodness, I feel like a horrible outlier here… yes well researched, yes interesting POV, and yes some great images, but I thought this was just an ok book. I was a little confused who the target audience was. The write-ups, although informative, are written in short paragraphs as if targeted to a younger audience, yet the content is overwhelmingly depressing and included many kid-unfriendly themes.. I thought maybe junior high might be a good target audience, but the “graphic novel” element of this book is not as engaging as other more conversational books. The cover has such a beautiful bright uplifting cover, yet I felt very heavy and dark after reading it.