Book Summary and Reviews of Brief Happiness by Theo Van Gogh

Brief Happiness by Theo Van Gogh

Brief Happiness

The Correspondence of Theo Van Gogh and Jo Bonger (Cahier Vincent, No. 7.)

by Theo Van Gogh

  • Published:
  • Jan 2005, 293 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

The happiness of Theo van Gogh (1857-1891) and Jo van Gogh-Bonger (1862-1925) was to last less than two years.

After some initial hesitation on Jo's part, they became a couple in December 1888, and were separated by Theo's mental breakdown in early October 1890. His death in January 1891 brought their life together to an end. Their correspondence, comprising 101 letters, is kept in the Van Gogh Museum and presents an endearing picture of two young people planning the necessary arrangements for their life together in Paris. They discuss finding an apartment, purchasing household goods, and the style of the interior decorations in their new home.

The correspondence also offers a unique picture of the views of a man who played an important role in the Parisian art world of the 1880s. Theo, and his brother Vincent, amassed a great number of works which are now the core of the Van Gogh Museum collection. Finally, we are given more information about Theo's life as an art dealer in Paris, his dealings with other artists and prominent figures in artistic circles, and the vicissitudes in the fortunes of Vincent van Gogh.

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This information about Brief Happiness was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Theodorus van Gogh was a Dutch art dealer and the younger brother of Vincent van Gogh. Known as Theo, his support of his older brother's artistic ambitions and well-being allowed Vincent to devote himself entirely to painting.

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