Vincent and Theo (The Van Gogh Brothers)

-
Vincent and Theo
The Van Gogh brothers
By Deborah Heiligman
Hardbound, 2017, 454 pages

Interrupted by a Margarita sesh while I was nearing the end,  finally I finished it all down to the last page (yes, including the appendices). This book was a slow starter for me that I initially regretted getting it but once I progressed past 50 pages I guess, I couldn't get it down and finished it in three days (not without interruptions, of course). 

The world indeed would not have  Vincent without Theo. Vincent 1853-1890; Theo 1857-1891.

The author looked at Vincent through his love, hate, turbulent relationship with his younger brother Theo. Love, respect, admiration, belief, interdependence between them prevailed... and extended to Jo, Theo's wife. Like Vincent's Starry Night which I looked at from my point of view, reading about Vincent in  this Deborah Heiligman book, I saw Theo and Vincent with extraordinary relationship. Their brotherhood is a masterpiece by itself. 


Teary-eyed at some point, one of them was reading the love letter of Theo to Jo saying to the effect that If you will accept me, you should accept Vincent too. I'm consoled that just before they both died, Vincent and Theo at least had glimpses that the Van Gogh paintings were being appreciated. Now, I'm searching for the primary sources: letters and a compilation of the works of Van Gogh. 

By the way, the hats in the cover is an indication of who is in the Van Gogh portraits. The brothers looked almost identical. 


Postscript:
When I get to visit The MoMA (The Museum of modern Art), I will understand a bit the skies and the wind blowing in the Starry Night. It is one of Vincent's paintings which he painted during his lucid times, knowing he couldn't when he's sick.


The painting is only about 2 ft x 3 ft in contrast to its hugeness as I imagined before I saw it. It was painted by Vincent while he was recovering in St Rheimy, June 1889.

Postscript 
Official statement from Van Gogh Museum is that the Man in Straw hat is now known as self-portrait or Portrait of Theo.

https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/about/news-and-press/news/self-portrait-or-portrait-of-theo

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do you still remember how Sarali or Sirali taste?

-
Image
This "Sarali" is a childhood fruit for everyone who grew up in the Visayan area of the Philippines. Also known as  Flacourtia jangomas or Indian Plum or coffee plum, Sarali is best enjoyed by pressing one fruit between one's palm, move it in circular motion until tender, and pop the soft flesh quickly in one's mouth save the seeds. Just like apple, this fruit oxidizes quickly and thus, gets dark brown easily. It can give one's teeth a nasty brown shade. Sour with a hint of sweet, this is a must-try fruit. I believe, the fruit has an economic value just like sarguellas and lanzones. *** *** *** ***  Related readings:  Possible Treatment of Diabetes http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2959214/ Anti bacterial property:  http://www.ijplsjournal.com/issues%20PDF%20files/july2011/1.pdf
Read more

TIKUM KADLUM (The Enchanted Dog, The First of the Ten Epics of Panay Bukidnon)

-
Image
At the house. One day, Bulawanon engaged the help of Tikum Kadlum, a hunting dog with the gift of sensing the spirits, in cooking rice for his husband Paiburong and his brother Dumaraog who will be going hunting. When the rice was cooked, the brothers ate fast. Then, while Bulawanon packed the betel nut for her husband, Paiburong and Dumaraog dressed themselves, with Dumaraog suggesting they match their sashes and belts, since he is his brother's loyal protector. To complete their hunting preparations, the two brought out their long-bladed sharp knives, shields, spears, and lances from their gold chest and wall hanger. When everything is set, Paiburong bade goodbye to his wife, Bulawanon, who reminded her husband to be careful as he might meet in the forest one named Makabagting, who is accompanied by a man-eating woman called Muwa. Makabagting is a nobleman and a warrior who is widely known as having tasted human flesh. Paiburong went out of his house, and he heard a sound. It
Read more

Linabog nga Bisaya nga Manok

-
Image
When I searched for Linabog in th web, I can see entries on Linabog but using a different souring agent and usually the fish called "pagi" is used. Also, they attribute Linabog to the Cebuanos and there is one video which explained that the word means "throw away" because the parts used in the dish are parts which are usually to be thrown away, like the bony "pagi." Meanwhile, there is also a "kinunot" way of cooking which means "hinimay" or flaked for the Luzon. The name was also coined for leftover parts of fish or chicken. In Hiligaynon, the word "labog" means forcefully thrown away.  This surprised me because when I was small, I heard from my father and his friends about this linabog and they used the leaves of labog plant. So I grew up having some idea of what linabog cooking means and definitely, the Cebuanos' definition of Linabog dish is far from my Ilonggo definition. And yes, Ilonggos
Read more