Van Gogh and the Art of Words
by historian Wouter van der Veen
18h30-19h30
Van Gogh’s greatest biographer is undoubtedly Van Gogh himself. Through his extensive correspondence, the Dutch painter is one of the best-documented artists of his time. Written with a pen dipped directly into life, his 820 letters allow us to look over his shoulder as he creates his greatest masterpieces, to follow his most intimate thoughts and his finest sensations.
Far from the image of the tormented, misunderstood, instinctive artist so often promoted by cinema, a careful reading of Van Gogh’s letters reveals a cultivated, thoughtful man, fully aware of the value of his art.
The painstaking work of his sister-in-law Johanna Van Gogh-Bonger, widow of his brother Theo, made it possible in 1914 for the general public to discover a true epic in the form of an unparalleled literary monument.
To this day, the study of this body of work continues to reveal secrets and surprises.
Wouter van der Veen, a specialist in Van Gogh’s correspondence, will offer an unexpected deep dive into this rich and fascinating material.
Wouter van der Veen (born 1974) is an independent researcher, President of the Van Gogh Academy, author, and associate researcher at the University of Strasbourg.
He earned his PhD from Utrecht University in 2007 with Van Gogh, homme de Lettres (Van Gogh, Man of Letters) and has published several books, including Van Gogh à Auvers (Van Gogh in Auvers, Chêne, 2009), Le Capital de Van Gogh (The Capital of Van Gogh, Actes Sud, 2018), Attaqué à la racine (Attacked at the Root, Arthénon, 2020), and Iris en feu (Iris on Fire, L’écailler, 2023).
A former collaborator of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and former lecturer at the University of Strasbourg, he served as Scientific Director of the Van Gogh Institute in Auvers-sur-Oise from 2012 to 2022.
In 2020, he identified the location where Van Gogh painted his final masterpiece, Les Racines (Tree Roots). In 2023, he curated the exhibition Van Gogh, Les Derniers voyages à Auvers-sur-Oise (Van Gogh: The Final Journeys in Auvers-sur-Oise) and supervised the restoration of Dr. Gachet’s House.