Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Three grieving figures stand over a tombstone: the parents and the younger brother of the deceased. The two share the same name, and the boy asks his mother if she named him so in expectation that he would replace his dead brother, Vincent Van Gogh. The famous artist was haunted by many things throughout his short 37-year-old life, but one of his earliest ghosts was perhaps that of his older brother.
The graphic novel “Vincent Van Gogh: Sadness Will Last Forever” by Francesco Barilli, Sakka, and Giulia Gabrielli attempts to capture the maestro’s life. However, it’s hard for such a small book (about 120 pages) to encompass all the complexities and dark shadows that plagued Vincent’s days and nights. Nevertheless, it remains a beautiful tribute to the historical figure, featuring riveting artwork. I loved the artwork and the fact that the creators didn’t simply replicate Van Gogh’s signature style for the graphic novel. Instead, they employed a nice dark gothic art style, and the first few pages looked like they were out of a Tim Burton movie. Imagine the animated movie “Corpse Bride” but with more color.
While the tale begins with Vincent’s affair with a pregnant, penniless prostitute, it eventually chronicles how his younger brother Theo stood by him through thick and thin, being a staunch supporter of his art. Even those who know very little about Vincent will be able to sense that his life was far more tragic and complicated than the pages make it out to be. For those who lack the patience for lengthy non-fiction books but would like to know more about the painter’s life, this graphic novel is definitely a great place to start.
The book is available on Kindle Unlimited.