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The life and death of Vincent van Gogh, pt. 2

October 16, 2011 12:49 PM

His paintings are among the most well-known in the world, just like the story of his life and death: Vincent van Gogh was a troubled genius who killed himself. But now the authors of a biography say their exhaustive investigation strongly indicates he may not have taken his own life. Morley Safer reports.

The Life and Death of Vincent van Gogh

60 Minutes OverTimeTake a walk through van Gogh's masterpieces

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by melarcher October 21, 2011 4:27 PM EDT
We visited St Remy in Provance, several years ago. According to it's self promotion, there is nothing of special interest there, but it is in the middle of Provance. We were wonderfully surprised to find: The Sanitorium that VanGogh checked himself into, the discovery of Glanum, the oldest Roman settlement in France and St Remy is the home to Nostradomus. You can visit the sanitorium, walk into his room and see where the patients took baths. When you are done you can take the VanGogh walk back to town. There are placards every few hundred feet with recreations of the paintings he did from that spot. Fascinating. Glanum was not yet unearthed at the time Van Gogh was there. It is only a few hundred feet from the Sanitoriam. His painting of "the Hole in the Rock" through the olive grove is viewed right over the top of the present day excavations. St Remy, the place that has nothing of interest, we love you.
Thank you CBS for a wonderfully done show highlighting a brilliant artist.
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by dodger318 October 20, 2011 8:02 AM EDT
Good News /Bad News about Van Gogh Book interview. Good, it seems to have a sympathetic view and will dispel some of the myths. Bad, because of all the errors in the interview. Among the most serious were that Vincent had no friends. 265 of his letters have the word "friend". ...and several have "dear friend". ...and a well-respected author from Melbourne has written a book "A Remarkable Friendship" about the relationship between Vincent and the Australian, John Peter Russell.

Another glaring error, they said Theo bore a remarkable resemblance to his older brother Vincent. Not so. Theo was thin, handsome, and brown haired. Vincent was stout (but without an ounce of fat as he was a prodigious walker), red-haired, and, well, not so handsome.

Please publicize these errors to get the story straight. Vincent, after all these years, deserves for his suffering, deserves that his true story be told.

thanks.
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by fotojb October 19, 2011 8:15 PM EDT
What a great job Morley and his friends do! It's wonderful to see that Vincent is getting more and more attention, everyday! Here's more news about Vincent, it is the only known photograph of Van Gogh as an adult and the basis for his self portraits. http://www.vangoghfoto.com or <google photograph of Van Gogh>

Thanks Morley!
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by laurafrederick October 18, 2011 11:29 AM EDT
What an amazing story!! I am going to have to read this book. I write a blog each day called Van Gogh's Ear, http://www.famousartistsbirthdays2.blogspot.com about artists on their birthday. I definitely want to let my readers know about this unusual development! Thank you 60 minutes for reporting on something refreshing and new!!
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by artlover77 October 18, 2011 11:23 AM EDT
These Van Gogh detectives on 60 minutes have lots of computers, but no soul!
Here's a film by a guy who haunted Vincent's spirit through Provence and
got to paint sunflowers with the ghost. See for yourself.
Check it out: VAN GOGH ADVENTURE: VINCENT'S GHOST AND ME
here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU40quiHvE8&feature=feedu
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by sidneyhop October 17, 2011 2:06 PM EDT
Thanks to the "60 Minutes" producers for telling this story. "60 Minutes" is perhaps the last media vestige of complete, true, honest and accurate story telling.

Other media have reported on this new Van Gogh revelation, even the BBC, but none have done it like "60 Minutes" with the respect and totality the story deserves.

Thanks,
Sidney Friedman

http://www.sidneyfriedman.com
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by HawkAVan October 17, 2011 1:54 PM EDT
He was Dutch, and the proper pronunciation takes into account the Dutch g -- the closest English equivalent is "Van Hawk" with a bit of slight bit of gagging.

Let us thank Johanna van Gogh for keeping Vincent's legacy alive (that woman had courage throughout her life), and Theo and Johanna's son Vincent for donating all of that artwork to the Dutch people, so everyone can see it.
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by bobcarlartistcom October 17, 2011 9:42 AM EDT
Thank you 60 Minutes and Mr. Safer for the grand story on Vincent Van Gogh. I hope it clears up some of the misunderstandings and misinformation people have had about him over the years since his death. He really is still a great artist admired by all nations and all ages. As an artist and art teacher I have truly come to admire his work especially when I lived in NYC when I could see several of his masterpieces whenever I wanted to. Bob Carl-artist.com
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by Beperkthoudbaar October 17, 2011 5:40 AM EDT
It's nice to see that Vincent is still 'hot'. I lived close to the museum with the most extended collection of van Gogh paintings, the Kroller Moller museum in the Netherlands, so I saw them very often, ever since I was a child. About this new ideas about his death: this investigation into Vincent's death was based on the exact same information as has been regarded by other historians. I don't think they found something 'new', and there was no mystery. The conclusion that he might have been killed is an example of adding some sensation to a story to make it sell.
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by Eftelier October 17, 2011 4:55 AM EDT
Vincent van Gogh painted his brother Theo,it is not a self portrait !
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