Irving Stone's 'Lust for Life' a Vincent van Gogh story, chronicled by Giridhar Khasnis

I have yet to see anyone play Vincent on screen better than Kirk Douglas in the 1950's adaptation of Irving Stone's biographical novel, Lust for Life. Douglas embraced the feverish and chaotic aspects of Vincent to the nth degree, to the point where the actor's wife at the time got a bit spooked. That he was passed up for the Oscar while Anthony Quinn was awarded Best Supporting for his eight minute role as Gauguin is criminal. Such is life.

Giridhar Khasnis has an excellent write-up at the Deccan Herald of Stone's labors, including the rejections of the book by major publishers and it's eventual wild success in print and film adaptation.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/178565/vincents-chronicles.html

Writes Khasnis:

It was quite by chance that Irwing Stone (1903 - 89) — then a young, prolific, but struggling playwright — visited the Rosenberg Galleries in Paris and ‘discovered’ the blazing canvases of Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890).

The visit, he confessed, turned out to be ‘the single most compelling emotional experience’ of his life. He also at once felt compelled to find out more about the Dutch impressionist. “Even though I was far too young and felt I did not have sufficient technique to write a book about Vincent van Gogh, I knew I had to try. If I didn’t, I would never write anything else.”

His elaborate and intense research — based primarily on van Gogh’s prolific and eloquent letters to his brother Theo — spanned six long months, followed by another six months of writing. By early 1931, the manuscript of Lust for Life was ready. Then began the frustrating ordeal of finding a publisher. Over the next three years — one after another — more than 15 publishers rejected Stone’s manuscript.

When he took it to Alfred Knopf, ‘they never opened it — the package with the manuscript got home before I did.’ When he approached Doubleday, they seemed impressed, but the sales department put its foot down and said there was ‘no way to sell a book about an unknown Dutch painter.’

Finally, in 1934, the manuscript was accepted and published by Longmans, Green & Company. Stone received a $250 advance which, according to the author, was “a tremendous amount of money”, especially during the Depression.

Lust for Life became an immediate bestseller. The book (which was dedicated to the author’s mother) sold in millions of copies. It also set in motion Stone’s brilliant writing career. He was hailed as a pioneer of biographical novel in its contemporary form and indisputably the most successful master of the genre.

Stone described the biographical novel as “a true and documented story of one human being’s journey across the face of the years, transmuted from the raw material of life into the delight and purity of an authentic art form.”

Van Gogh's Sunflowers browning from chemical assimilation

Unfortunately, Vincent's use of white mixed with chromium yellow, a technique that made his Sunflower paintings so brilliant, is now causing them to brown in sunlight.

Sad on many levels. The yellows were so strong and achieved Vincent's brightness goal ... to have them fade now robs of us his intent and result. Nothing lasts forever, it's true, but with the professional care of the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands, one would have hoped they'd last a lot longer. Not to fault them, however. I'm sure the finding by the chemists was not welcome news. Now the museum must display Sunflowers in darker settings, or commission someone to figure out an antidote.

To see Sunflowers anywhere but in a bright setting robs them of their power.

The Boston Globe is one of many news outlets to carry the story, but I do not agree that the browning of Vincent's most powerful works is "weirdly appropriate" as Josh Rothman states:

It's definitely sad that the paintings are fading, but you can't deny that it's weirdly appropriate, too: The sun is fading the painted sunflowers, just as it faded the real ones.

It is another tragic event in a life already fraught with tragedy.

Vincent had his brown period of painting while in the North. When he came to France, his works exploded with color. Such were his techniques and manner until his final days, if he'd wanted to return to brown, he'd have done so.

I'll also add this, it is Vincent's powerful manipulation of color that made him, posthumously though it was. If he'd stayed with browns and greys, he would not have gained global status as an artist.

Gauguin's tribute to Van Gogh auctioning big

Eleven years after Vincent van Gogh's death, the fellow artist who basically drove Vincent over the edge painted sunflowers on Vincent's behalf, supposedly. Maybe he honestly missed him, more likely he wanted to capture some of Vincent's intensity and drive, at least that's my admittedly limited impression of the man.

I don't care much for Gauguin, and even less of his art. To me he was a villain who took advantage of Theo's money and Vincent's naivete and desire for artistic fellowship. And no good man does that.

Anita Singh has an article in The Telegraph on Gauguin's Sunflowers, and the pretty penny they'll be fetching at auction.

Singh states that Vincent's drinking and instability led to the end of their friendship. Surely they were factors ... ones that Gauguin took advantage of. To boot, Gauguin had sizeable mental issues of his own after he left for the tropics. Difficult to believe they hadn't manifested earlier.


Below is Gauguin's painting, which is flat and lifeless compared to Vincent's, imo. See link and example below.

Van Gogh masterpieces in chocolate, or, The Edible Van Gogh

The UK Daily Mail UK has a story about a confectioner, Jean Zaun, who creates chocolate versions of masterpieces, including Vincent Van Gogh's portrait and sunflowers.

The edible Van Gogh.

But her larger reproductions are more for display, as it turns out.

According to Mrs Zaun, each picture can last for up to nine years if properly stored at a temperature of 68 degrees or less.

She added: 'They must also not be exposed to sunlight, heat, hungry dogs or humans.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1342779/Vincent-Van-Choc-Confectioner-creates-chocolate-versions-art-masterpieces.html#ixzz19thSg46P

Grace Krispy of MotherLode, Book Reviews and Original Photography, reviews Van Gogh, Encore

Grace Krispy of MotherLode, Book Reviews and Original Photography has kindly posted a review of Van Gogh, Encore

Excerpts from Grace Krispy's review of Van Gogh, Encore:

What if... what if Vincent Van Gogh were alive today, in modern times? What if his life took a different turn, if he met someone he could love? What might be in store for him? Van Gogh is famous for his powerful works of art, and infamous for his mental health issues and resulting bizarre behavior. How would that play out in the context of today?

In this work of speculative fiction, John A. Karr portrays the last 18 months of Van Gogh's life in the United States, and presents possibilities of a different future for the troubled, but gifted, artist. Given a different setting and nationality (Van Gogh is Canadian in this book), and a blossoming love with a vivacious woman, Van Gogh gets another chance at life.

...

At nearly twice the size of the average ebook, this was a page-turner. Descriptive and eloquent, this book really allows you to feel what it might be like to be Van Gogh, to live inside his tormented mind as he attempts to make sense of contradictory stimuli. The author uses carefully selected words and phrasing to portray Van Gogh's thoughts in a way that really highlights his inner turmoil, as well as his artistic passion. The characters were nicely drawn, but the star of this story is really Vincent, whose character is well-established.

Resistence worn thin

Must resist ... urge to ... blog. Held off for years now. Why begin anew?

There's only a few billion blogs in cyberspace. I just end up talking to myself with these symbols known as words.

I have some novels out via small press. Check out www.johnakarr.com

It resembles a blog of sorts. So maybe some explanation going forward would be okay, and they won't come 'round with a straight jacket and reserved padded room. Not with the way healthcare is today, boy. Who can afford a sanitarium stay, as my man Vincent Van Gogh had.

He wasn't off his rocker crazy. Just needed to chill.

Will be self-pubbing my modern-day Vincent Van Gogh tale within a month, if all goes right. Amazon Digital Text for Kindle. Requisitioned cover art from a true artist now.

Premise:

Imagine Vincent van Gogh in our modern world, struggling to find love and to support himself through his art. Suppose, during the last year and a half of his life, when he severed part of his ear and committed himself to the insane asylum, he stumbles into the very circumstance he has longed for his entire adult life -- a family. Would his life change for the better, or would his self-destructive tendencies still prevail?

My novel, Vincent Van Gogh, Encore, explores these possibilities.