Vincent van Gogh Van Gogh's fame reached its first peak in Austria and Germany before World War I, helped by the publication of his letters in three volumes in 1914. His letters are expressive and literate, and have been described as among the foremost 19th-century writings of their kind. These began a compelling mythology of Van Gogh as an intense and dedicated painter who suffered for his art and died young. In 1934, the novelist Irving Stone wrote a biographical novel of Van Gogh's life titled "Lust for Life", based on Van Gogh's letters to Theo. This novel and the 1956 film further
Vincent van Gogh (Russell painting) Gauguin", and said it captured one of the Dutchman's quirks: Also in the 1930s, Hartrick created an ink and watercolour sketch of Van Gogh that he likely based on Russell's portrait. Today, specialists agree that Russell's portrait offers the most realistic likeness of Van Gogh. In 2012, Brigitte Banziger and David Hulme argued that, while paintings such as Tom Roberts' "Shearing the Rams" (1890) or Frederick McCubbin's "Down on His Luck" (1889) are often called "Australia's most famous painting", Russell's "Vincent van Gogh" may be more deserving of the title due to its global reputation. Books Journals Vincent van Gogh