Wire-o binding lies flat. Die-cut cover.

A wildly entertaining and surprisingly educational dive into art history as you've never seen it before, from the host of the beloved ArtCurious podcast We're all familiar with the works of Claude Monet, thanks in no small part to the ubiquitous reproductions of his water lilies on umbrellas, handbags, scarves, and dorm-room posters. But did you also know that Monet and his cohort were trailblazing rebels whose works were originally deemed unbelievably ugly and vulgar? And while you probably know the tale of Vincent van Gogh's suicide, you may not be aware that there's pretty compelling evidence that the artist didn't die by his own hand but was accidentally killed--or even murdered. Or how about the fact that one of Andy Warhol's most enduring legacies involves Caroline Kennedy's moldy birthday cake and a collection of toenail clippings? ArtCurious is a colorful look at the world of art history, revealing some of the strangest, funniest, and most fascinating stories behind the world's great artists and masterpieces. Through these and other incredible, weird, and wonderful tales, ArtCurious presents an engaging look at why art history is, and continues to be, a riveting and relevant world to explore.

On May 8th, 1889, Vincent Van Gogh was admitted to a mental asylum near St.-Remy-de-Provence where he remained as a voluntary patient until May the following year. Throughout the year, Van Gogh enjoyed a continuous dialogue with his brother about his art, his mental condition, his hopes and ambitions, and from time to time his despair and sense of failure. The asylum year saw Vincent at his most raw and needy, but also at his most creative - turning out the equivalent of a masterpiece a day. This book offers an account, month by month, of that crucial penultimate chapter in Van Gogh s life. It is separated from the other chapters in the artist s life because although treated in all the numerous biographies it is none the less a self-contained episode, a play within a play, with a shape and dynamic of its own. Van Gogh s asylum year is unlike any other year in the long history of art."

70 illus., 50 color plates. Orig. $49.50.

Van Gogh in Provence and Auvers includes more than 300 works by Van Gogh in his most prolific years leading up to his tragic suicide. Special printed papers and specially die-cut openers enhance the value of this excellent presentation. Van Gogh’s own words, placed together with preparatory sketches for his works and vintage postcards and photographs, enhance an insightful text.

Hanging in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, "Butterflies and Poppies" was painted in 1890 during what is considered the finest period of the artist's remarkable career. Inspired by Van Gogh's studies of Japanese prints, the work now graces the cover of this lovely little notebook. Featuring 64 blank pages, it's a great way to store phone numbers and appointments and doubles as a pocket-sized sketchbook.