1. Vincent van Gogh: The Letters. The complete, illustrated and annotated edition
This internationally acclaimed six-volume edition of Vincent van Gogh’s letters was the culmination of fifteen years of research by the Van Gogh Museum and Huygens ING. The complete correspondence consists of 820 letters written by Van Gogh and 83 letters addressed to him by Paul Gauguin, Theo van Gogh, Paul Signac and others. Van Gogh was not only an exceptional artist, but also a gifted writer. He often illustrated his letters with sketches and drawings and he enthusiastically discussed the work of a very diverse range of artists. This edition features every work of art mentioned in the letters, not only the drawings and paintings of Van Gogh himself, but also all the works that inspired him.
Leo Jansen, Hans Luijten and Nienke Bakker (eds.)
2,180 pages, over 4,000 illustrations, 6-volume set in slipcase
Van Gogh Museum / Huygens ING
Publisher, Mercatorfonds, 2009
Dutch edition: Amsterdam University Press, 2009
English edition: Thames and Hudson, 2009
French edition: Actes Sud, 2009
Translation
Chinese: Shanghai Fine Arts and Publishing House, 2015
Awards
The Van Gogh Letters project received a Grand Prix in the Research category of the European Union Prize for
Cultural Heritage 2010 (Europa Nostra Award).
Vincent van Gogh – The Letters won the Apollo Book Award, the Spear’s Book Award and the Banister Fletcher Book
Award.
2. Vincent van Gogh: The Essential Letters
The worldwide reputation of Van Gogh’s correspondence is based on its immense value as a ‘document humain’ and its huge wealth of biographical and art-historical details. The letters tell the story of Van Gogh’s quest to find his vocation; his close relationship with his brother Theo, who always supported him unconditionally; his sometimes difficult friendships; his need for recognition and, above all, his passion for art and literature.
Editors Leo Jansen, Hans Luijten and Nienke Bakker have selected the 265 most essential Van Gogh letters, illustrated by more than 100 letter sketches.
Translations
Arabic: Vincent van Gogh. The Essential letters, Al Kotob Khan, Cairo, 2017
Dutch: Vincent van Gogh. Ik heb een vuur in mij. Zijn mooiste brieven, Hollands Diep, Amsterdam,
2014/2016
English: Vincent van Gogh. Ever Yours,
The Essential Letters, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2015
French: L’Art des mots. Vincent van Gogh,
lettres, Actes Sud, Arles, 2015
German: Vincent van Gogh – Die Briefe. Manch einer hat ein großes Feuer in seiner
Seele, Beck Verlag, Munich, 2017
Italian: Vincent van Gogh. Scrivere la vita, Donzelli Editore, Rome, 2013
Japanese: Vincent van Gogh. The Essential Letters, Shinchosha, Tokyo, 2020
Norwegian: Vincent van Gogh. Å skrive livet, Aschehoug Forlag, Oslo, 2014
Turkish: Dostlukla. Seçme Mektuplar, Yapi Kredı, Istanbul, 2015
The translations of the Van Gogh Letters are realized with funds from the Dutch Foundation for Literature.
3. Vincent van Gogh: A Life in Letters
A remarkable selection covering all aspects of Vincent van Gogh’s life and offering valuable new insights into the creative process behind his many famous works. The 76 letters in this new anthology are selected and introduced by the editors who conducted years of research at the Van Gogh Museum into the artist’s letters, and who produced the academic edition of the complete correspondence.
This captivating collection of letters, that is richly illustrated, opens a window into the mind of one of history’s greatest artists.
Nienke Bakker, Leo Jansen, Hans Luijten (eds.)
Van Gogh Museum / Huygens ING
Translations
Dutch: Troost voor bedroefde harten. De brieven van Vincent van Gogh, Prometheus, Amsterdam, 2020
English: Vincent van Gogh: A Life in Letters, Thames and Hudson, London/New York, 2020
