Customer Reviews

Vincent Van Gogh: The Complete Paintings (Part I) (v. 1)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Please understand, the 1997, hard cover, single volume edition, with ISBN #3-8228-8265-8 is a wonderful book with expert reproductions and a very well written biography. Because of the identical titles and publisher, reviews for the 1993 and 1997 editions are posted under both books, thus causing great confusion. It is the 1993 two volume set which exhibits the horrible, colorless reproductions of Van Gogh's work.

Two vastly different volumes exist entitled Van Gogh: The Complete Paintings by Walther/Metzger and Taschen publishing. The 1997 volume - recommended by L.A. County Museum of Art - is a remarkable book with an expertly written bio, thoughtful layout and perfect color reproductions. The 1993 volume exhibits awful, colorless prints and should be recalled as it serves only to confuse the buyer and discourage the purchase of the 1997 volume, a work of art in itself.

This is more wonderful book about the paintings of Van Gogh than other books. I hesitated to buy this book because of contrary reviews about it. But you don't need to hesitate to buy it now! It is full of lots of great, fantastic and colorful paintings. I was so excited to look at these terrific paintings. The illustrations and colors were excellent. I guess the reviews that it is a awful book about paintings of Van Gogh is about the former edition before this. I recommend this book (hardcover,740p,1997) for every fan of Van Gogh confidently. You won't be sorry for buying this at all.

This is the Van Gogh book. If there is a van gogh lover in your life there would be no better gift than this set. nearly all the painting are in color, one will pop up in black and white but there is usally a "distoyed in WW2" next to the title. No complaints here though. Just watching Van gogh make the transition from the dark early paintings to the Paris Impressionism to the turblant final years. Not a better collection on earth!

This is an excellent book. I scoured the net for the perfect book on my favourite artist and settled on this one. Definitely the best buy.

The book is beautifully printed and the paintings are clear and vibrant (very important). The writing style is intelligent, compelling and easy to read. Very well researched, offering an incredible insight into the life of Van Gogh.

Taschen have published a masterpiece - buy it now!

I would say it is a good book... entire collection of Van Gogh, quite informative and good image quality. Yes, the color is not accurate, but it is almost impossible to print the paintings having exactly the same color as the original. I have the Van Gogh Highlights Screensaver produced by Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam and I don't think the coloring in the book is that terrible as some ppl say(assuming that the color of the electronic copies from the Museum in Amsterdam is close to the original). What I really don't like about this book is.. some paintings were printed across 2 pages. I perfer images are printed in a redused size rather than spanning across pages.
All in all, would I recommand this book? YES i would.

If one is looking for the "one" Van Gogh volume this is it. It accurately covers his work in history and in reproduced prints. Great buy

I think this book is a 'must'for Van Gogh enthusiasts,I have not been able to get it in the UK,do not hesitate to buy from amazon.com it took 4weeks to get to me,was very well packed and arrived in perfect condition.thank you Amazon!

This is a very nice publication to have on your shelf. Van Gogh is an icon of Western culture and it is almost certain that you can call more than a few of his images to mind quite easily. What this provides is a greater context for those several images by providing what it calls "the complete paintings". I have no ability to say whether it is complete or not, but I can say that the vast number of paintings reproduced here provide a wonderful context and the images become more connected and make quite a bit more sense than they do in isolation.

Are the color reproductions perfect? Of course not! Mechanical coloring cannot approach the vivid colors these paintings have in real life. I am always pleasantly surprised when I get to an art museum and see real colors up close and personal. Things are so wonderfully vivid! The texture of the surfaces is also fabulous to see in person.

But a book can never be as brilliant as seeing the painting in person. However, for a few dollars you can survey a body of work you will never be able to see in a lifetime. So, it is a fair trade off. Just make sure you get to a good museum as frequently as you can to enrich you senses and your soul.

The text accompanying the paintings is really very good. The problem is that is provided next to a painting by Van Gogh and one's eyes can barely stay on the text. I find myself drifting to every nearby painting and focusing on that more than what the editors are telling me about Van Gogh's life and work.

Very much recommended. The binding, Paper or Hardcover is irrelevant for home use. Pick whichever you prefer and can afford. For heavy use, obviously the hardcover is the better choice.

Can't really compare this book to any other Van Gogh books, don't have any others, and haven't done a lot of research for alternatives. But this is a hefty book, gorgeous, colorful, and chronologically written. The pages are matte (or semi-matte) finish, not glossy, which I believe makes the paintings look even better. And the price is great. I wish I could find other books, similarly priced and produced, of other artists; I'd buy them in a second.