As a fan of the works and writing of Vincent Van Gogh I was excited to have the opportunity to read this version of his life story. The origins of his lifes work and his daily struggles are told illustrations that compliment the narrative well. For any fan of his works and life story this would make for a easy detailed read.

As an Art History major and an avid reader, I’m always excited when I get books about art and artists. So, I jumped at the chance to read Vincent: a Graphic Biography, hoping for a new creative take on Vincent van Gogh’s life. Maybe my expectations were too high, because in the end it felt pretty flat and uninteresting.
The book starts with Jo, Theo’s wife (van Gogh’s sister-in-law), explaining that after the brothers’ deaths she was left their letters and paintings and all the responsibility of Vincent’s legacy. Then we spend most of the book learning about his life and work, returning in the end to Jo’s efforts to get recognition for the artist.
It’s an interesting framing device, but it leads to a lot of telling, not showing. I felt like we were constantly told how to feel about Vincent, never really getting a chance to form our own opinions. Here is Vincent being oh, so sensitive, misunderstood, depressed, feeling all of his feelings – it gets annoying after a while. I can accept that it’s a biased account (for example, it leaves out that Theo died of syphilis), but it mostly seems sanitized. If this was a children’s book, that would be fine, but it isn’t.
I did like the second half of the book more, as the focus shifted from the man to the artist. We get glimpses into how Vincent saw the world and how that translated into his paintings, his shift to painting from memory (and not just from reference), his choice for brighter, more saturated colors. I would’ve liked more of this.
The visual part of this graphic biography was underwhelming (with a few interpretations of Vincent’s work that really stood out). First about the formatting: this looks more like a children’s book that a graphic novel. There’s a lot of text next to illustrations, making it feel more didactic and less as a narrative.
Most of the illustrations look like they were traced from photos, keeping the basic outline and filled with flat color blocks. The choice seems to be made for speed, not with artistic intent relating to the text of van Gogh’s style. There are a few times where the art takes inspiration from Vincent, and I really liked the result. I also found it very interesting that the book doesn’t use any of the real artworks – seems kind of meta.
In the end I think this book could be useful for people who are looking for a short biography of a famous artist, but for anyone trying to really understand Vincent van Gogh, I think his letters to Theo are a better source.
“With paper – if it’s not a letter I’m writing but a drawing I’m doing – it hardly ever goes wrong.” Vincent van Gogh

The story of Vincent Van Gogh is a heartbreaking one and I thought it was well told here, delvinginto the good and the bad. Great for students looking into Van Gogh's life. I was not initially a fan of the artstyle, but it grew on me and I thought it was used quite well to illustrate Vincent's life. There is something from Van Gogh's life for artists to learn from perhaps.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of Vincent: A Graphic Biography

I deeply love the art of Vincent Van Gogh ever since I learned about his life in art class when I was growing up.

This book tells the story of Vincent Van Gogh from his childhood all the way to his tragic end. It's retold through the voice of Jo, his sister-in-law, the wife of his brother Theo, who died shortly after Vincent.

One thing to note is the art style. It is unique, but it was not for me. How this book is formatted reminds me more of a picture book and not a graphic novel.

This book is definitely an interesting read, but I will not be reading this book again.

I’ve read very long and extensive biographies of Vincent Van Gogh and know not everyone needs that much detail. This is a good graphic biography of the painter Vincent Van Gogh. It is told from the view point of his sister in law, who many don’t realize is the one who kept his collection and worked to have him be accepted as an artist long after his death. The book covers the basics of his life growing up, his first failed romances and careers. It also covers the strong and unique bond he shared with his brother Theo. It does not spare details of his poor mental and physical health and times he spent in asylums or under a doctor's care. He was a prolific artist but sold very few paintings during his lifetime. I liked the stylized graphic illustrations in this book and easily recognize the iconic paintings I’ve seen in great museums. I think this would be great for someone who wants to know more about the artist but doesn’t want to delve into a 1,000 page biography. Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group, White Lion for the temporary digital copy and I am leaving an honest review.

Thank you netgalley for an advanced ARC of this book

I have always loved art and anything to with creativity, Vincent Van Goth had always been art I look upto and reading this Graphic Biography is a easy way for children to learn about the artist at a digestible pace.

Vincent: a graphic biography

When you love art and graphic novels then this is a book you need to read.
Most of uss do know Vincent van gogh, but did u know how his life was?

This graphic novel tells about his story.
The illustrations are nice to watch and tells the story very clearly.
The short text tells the story beside the illustrations and u will learn about Vincent s life.
But you can enjoy and watch the illustrations and later read also the text.
There is a lot to discover.

I think it would be great if this book is used in school so children can learn about artists.

I found this somehow all at once intriguing, perplexing, and saddening. Vincent Van Gogh was supremely talented but also supremely troubled. Other than that I enjoyed his work, knew he'd cut his ear off, and, yes, was troubled, I honestly didn't know much about Van Gogh the man. My first reaction, probably because I was expecting illustrations representative of his well-known art, was to stop, close the ditigal book, and take a virtual step back. Why? At least initially, it was visual. The early illustrations weren't, to be polite, seemingly even particularly well done or informative. They were bland, lacking detail/shading, and seemed to be repetitive. As the book goes along, however, the illustrations, like Vincent himself, become more complex, reflecting where he was artist-wise at the time being discussed. In other words, the early artwork was surely by design, perhaps for reasons unknown to me, but I choose to see them as indicating young Vincent as a blank canvas, one whose ideas and direction were unformed. Knowing others will face the same issue, I'm opting for a 4-star rating although, quite frankly, at various places in the book, I was all over the place rating wise.

His struggles with mental health and depression are well-documented but this does delve into reasons or probably causes. Overall, they might be summed up by he felt too much, too strongly. We're seeing his story through the eyes of his sister-in-law, Joanna, who was actually the one person most responsible for bringing his work to the world after his death. His brother Theo also features prominently and, sadly, died not long after Vincent, leaving Joanna alone to make her own way in the world. Her success in promoting Vincent's works, left to his family at his death, is obvious today. I mean, there are entire museums bearing his name and his Starry Night painting is everywhere. What we get here, however, is the behind-the-scenes story of Van Gogh's troubled life, where feeling ran too strong to control, both drawing him to others and driving others from him, including women he seems to have been almost fixated on.

I won't detail the turmoil of his life. That's better left to the individual reader. I will say his life was definitely turbulent, anguished, and, quite frankly, rather disturbing. Let's just say, mental health care back then wasn't what it is today and it's far from infallible nowadays. Through it all, seeing the still relatively undefined artwork depicting him frequently apparently screaming in anguish, against the visuals of the intriguing, developing style of his artwork, is all the more remarkable for the contrast. His life is the focus, though, and though he gave us the gift of his amazing talent, it wasn't a happy one. It's hard not to feel both sadness and respect for what he accomplished in the face of such turmoil. Joanna, his sister-in-law, does get spotlighted at the end although, you know, she perhaps deserves a book of her own (and I write this without checking to see if one already exists). Thank you #QuartoPublishingGroup - #WhiteLion - #FrancesLincolm for allowing me a sneak peek at this troubling but also interesting life.

A simply amazing visual look at an artist and visionary, whose work has continued to make a mark. I would gladly use this book when teaching about Vincent van Gogh and I appreciate the pairing of narrative prose and images.

Vincent: A Graphic Biography
BioGraphs Series
written and Illustrated by Sam Elliott
Frances Lincoln Books
due 8-6-2024
4 stars
Vincent Van Gogh's short, tragic life has always fascinated me. His quiet manner, childhood problems, becoming a painter that was ignored, misunderstood and ridiculed, and his suicide is an amazing story and I enjoyed this quick, submersive graphic novel. The bold basic graphics and colors fit the story well, and project Vincent's artistic style well. Vincent's story is told with passion and these graphics are a compliment to his artistry. Well done.
Thanks to #Netgalley for sending this e-book ARC for review.
#NetGalley #VincentAGraphicNovel

I felt so sad while reading this brilliantly illustrated biography of Vincent Van Gogh. Mental illness plagued him his whole life, causing mental trauma to not just him but his loving, devoted family. Told from the point of view of his sister-in-law, this story takes the reader through different periods of Van Gogh's life, showing his pursuit of happiness and love. He was rejected by lovers and by art critics, eventually dying much too young of a self-inflcted wound, followed closely by his brother.
Thank goodness his sister-in-law recognized his brilliance. Left alone with a child after both brothers' deaths, she was the one who made sure that the world learned about the brilliance of Vincent Van Gogh. Possibly the most brilliant part of this book is how the illustrations are in Van Gogh's style.
It seems crazy that people found his work childish and even frightening, when millions of people visit his museum every year now. There is even an asteroid named after him! I wish he could have known how much people love his work now.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Received this book as an ARC via NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion.

This is a graphic novel that is also a biography of the artist Vincent Van Gogh. Van Gogh is a complicated historical figure but I feel that this graphic novel presents his life in a new and interesting way to younger readers and adults. I have to say that the color choices and the simple, yet effective drawings by the author, Simon Elliot, helped to draw the reader's eye and yet did not detract from the text.

The text goes through his early life through his unrequited love and later on his struggles with mental illnesses such as depression and the work he did. It is told from the perspective of his sister-in-law and her narration really allows us to see Van Gogh in ways that he perhaps had not seen himself in life. She was able to turn him into a world renowned artist after a lifetime of rejection by his peers.

I think this book would be best read by children in high school, due to certain images of nude women and the depiction of his suicide attempt. This requires a more mature audience than middle school which is often the audience for graphic novels..

Thank you to NetGalley, author and the publisher for an eARC.

A quick life summary and journey to how we know of the painter Vincent Van Gogh. It is not detailed but nicely done. This is something you can read if you want to refresh your memory on life of the famous painter. I personally really enjoyed this one.

“Vincent painted despite his illness, not because of it” this line really stood out to me. I feel like a lot of people relate his struggle with mental illness with his art and romanticise it. I think it’s important to remember that even though his struggle was genuinely painful it still didn’t define him or his love for painting.


Moreover, I’m glad more people are talking about the woman behind his success. I’m surprised it took them long enough.
Plus it’s no shocker that a woman is behind all that because there is no way a man from 1800’s would’ve read his letters and conveyed his feelings through them and related it with his art. Only a woman is capable of such depth.

Lastly. I find it so wholesome that all of this happened because of love.

The whole thing looks like it was entirely created on MS Paint. It was so ugly. I'm so sorry. It also read like a 12 year old's school report. I was expecting more. Maybe not a full deep dive into his life, but more than a sentence here, a blurb there, and poorly drawn illustrations.

I love van gogh for a while, his painting is so touching, and significant... When i was younger in my class we study the life of vicent, and it was amazing and kinda sad to know the life beyond the artist. But with this comic we get to know vicent's family, and their history. I like that about the graphic, but the illustrations per say, is kinda poor... i wish that the artist could put a little more effort in the drawing

Vincent: A graphic biography tells the story of Vincent Van Gogh's life with his sister-in-law as narrator. I think the book did a great job with the illustrations. They were reminiscent of Vincent's style & fit it well.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel like the text was very engaging. Vincent Van Gogh is very interesting to me, but this was a very dry book & I feel like it could have been presented better. I usually finish a graphic novel in one sitting, but I kept putting this one down.

That being said, I did learn about Vincent's life story & still really enjoyed this book! Definitely check it out, if only for the illustrations.

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon Elliott, and Quarto Publishing for the chance to read & review!

I deeply adore the art off Vincent van Gogh and ever since learning a bit about his life I felt connected to him and his passion and vast sadness and unrest.

In this book the life of Vincent is retold through the voice of Jo, his sister-in-law, the wife of his favourite brother Theo, who died shortly after Vincent.
She was the one who then spent most of her life reading and translating the brothers‘ correspondences and taking care of Vincents paintings. After all he only sold one during his lifetime, through Jos and her son Vincents work then became very widely known and popular.

However, this graphic novel does a decent work of retelling his life, albeit leaving out the newer research and more recent view on the circumstances of his death. That problaby has not been a suicide but rather an unfortunate accident involving children playing with a gun and him covering them by saying it was a suicide attempt.

This is one thing that bothered me, but that‘s the only thing, regarding the content of the text.

What really striked as a wasted chance to make this a really great book is the quality of the drawings.
They feel lazy, stiff and mostly loveless. The only ones that were somewhat good were those depicting Vincents actual artworks. The rest has flat colours and thick linings that make most expressions weird.
The positioning of the drawings and the chosen subjects were good, the style just doesn‘t seem to fit.

Maybe my opinion and view on this is rooted in the love I have for Vincents story and art so that these drawings don‘t align with my expectations and other readers don‘t get bothered at all by them or maybe like the style.

Overall I would recommend reading it, if only for the concise summary of this artists life.

Vincent: A Graphic Biography is a simple, accessible introduction to the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh. The art is pleasant to look at without ever coming across as showy, and the prose makes the biographical information easily understandable for any reader. Though it was sometimes simplistic, Vincent: A Graphic Biography is an easy recommendation for anyone wishing to learn some "broad strokes" about the artist's life.

Vincent Van Gogh's life is depicted from his sister-in-law's perspective in this book. Unfortunately, the artwork is underwhelming, with the baby on page 5 resembling a goblin and everything else. The text is minuscule, making it difficult to read. Overall, my experience with the book was not enjoyable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion for providing an ARC of this graphic novel for reviewers.

As many others, I love Van Gogh's works. And I believe that most of this love comes from knowing his story, we love stories of tormented geniuses who weren't appreciated in their times, so we enjoy reading about Vincent. But the most interesting thing in this comic book is not the Van Gogh's story but Jo's - his sister-in-law who spent her life promoting his works and making sure that they're understood. I wish her part of the story was longer.
Vincent: A Graphic Biography is a quick read telling us all the most important events in the painter's life, a big plus for me was not omitting Van Gogh's behavior towards women, there's no judging, but also the author didn't make him the perfect person who had some issues.
Overall a good comic book for people who enjoy art and Van Gogh, through the art could be a little better.