Who Shot Van Gogh?

Fact or Fiction? An imaginative collection of statements about Vincent van Gogh that challenges what we think we know about the artist's much-mythologised existence. Van Gogh is the world's most famous artist, yet our understanding of his life is riddled with contradictions. Art historians, filmmakers, journalists, psychologists and conspiracy theorists have all offered theories about his life and work, yet their views are often at odds. Van Gogh has been described as a suffering genius, a madman, the embodiment of peace and compassion, a man of violence who was a danger to himself and others, a religious fanatic and a Marxist. Where does the truth lie and does the myth begin? This book examines the continuing rewriting of Van Gogh's story since the first publications about the artist appeared in the early twentieth century. Presenting a collage of succinct facts and contact, the text draws from a wide field of sources: fellow artists, friends and family, doctors and psychoanalysts, actors and writers, theorists, crackpots and academics. Contradictory statements go hand in hand with an unconventional curation of images, including postcards from locations associated with the artist, photographs from a legal trial of a con man, a child's toy, a bottle label and a rusty revolver. Turnbull presents a kaleidoscope of fact and fiction about the world's most discussed artist - sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, always revealing, giving readers new insights into the artist, his work and his legacy. Van Gogh himself would be shocked not only to see what people have said about him, but also to understand the global phenomenon he has become. A must-have for art lovers and museum-goers alike, this book invites all readers familiar with Van Gogh to challenge long-held ideas about the man and his work.