The personality of Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)—a 19th-century combination of dropout, rebel, and genius—and the source of his enormous achievement continue to fascinate people as deeply as
his vivid, wildly painted canvasses of sunflowers, peasants, and starry nights. In this first and only in-depth study of the relationship between van Gogh's psychological development and his
art, Albert J. Lubin, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry (Emeritus) at Stanford University and a practicing psychoanalyst, draws on the tremendous wealth of information available about van
Gogh, to explore his personal conflicts in the context of the forces that molded him: familial, historical, cultural, religious, artistic, and literary. Dr. Lubin approaches van Gogh not as a
mysterious mix of sick eccentric and martyred artist, but as a complete man who transformed his suffering into a phenomenal body of work. Lubin's daring psychological insights and art
criticism allow us to better understand, and more fully appreciate, van Gogh's artistic triumph over his inner torment.
