青幻舎 SEIGENSHA Art Publishing

Since its launch in 1985, the Basic Art Series by German art-book publisher Taschen has garnered fans among art lovers the world over. Each installment brings scholarly yet accessible text and attractive plates together into a compact volume that offers a quick grounding on its featured artist.

Seigensha is proud to bring this bestselling series to Japanese readers starting in autumn 2025. The lineup will commence with Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh, followed by many more titles soon to be announced.

Anguish as art—the suffering and genius of a post-Impressionist giant
Born in a small town in the Netherlands, unfortunate in employment as in love, and unable to find salvation in faith, Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) had but a single solace—his art. Amid poverty and isolation he pursued that path with the aid of his brother and sole ally, Theo, only to descend into madness, sever his own ear, and ultimately take his own life. Only after his death would his genius be recognized.

In this volume, works from each stage of Van Gogh’s career enrich a discussion of a brief thirty-seven-year life marked by despair, suffering, and unacknowledged genius. Presented are seventy-four paintings—including View of the Sea at Scheveningen (1882), Peasant and Peasant Woman Planting Potatoes (1885), Weaver, Seen from the Front (1884), The Potato Eaters (1885), Japonaiserie: Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige) (1887), Portrait of Père Tanguy (1887–1888), Sunflowers (1888), Bridge at Arles (Pont de Langlois) (1888), The Night Café in Arles (1888), Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889), The Bedroom (1889), and Blossoming Almond Tree (1890)—along with a detailed chronology.