The career of Vincent Van Gogh (1853-90) as a painter was short, but his
paintings revolutionized artistic practice and styles. The intensity of
his vision, his wonderful sense of colour and the extraordinary boldness
of his technique created masterpieces that exercised a profound
influence on the art of the twentieth century. There are also enormously
popular, and paintings such as The Yellow Chair, The Drawbridge and
The Sower are among the most the best-loved images of our time.
Wilhelm Uhde was an outstanding art critic and dealer who was born
during Van Gogh's lifetime and witnessed at first hand his rise to fame
at the beginning of the twentieth century. His masterly essay was first
published in 1937 and remains one of the best introductions to Van
Gogh's work. For this revised and expanded edition, the notes to the
plates were added by Griselda Pollock, Professor of Social and Critical
Histories of Art at the University of Leeds.