The woman who made van Gogh

Abstract

This article studies the life of Johanna van Gogh-Bonger and her role in the popularity of her brother-in-law, the dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. Through the discovery of a new research subject - a series of diaries written by Johanna van Gogh-Bonger -, Russel Shorto describes the challenges of Johanna in the masculine art world of the 19th century, while establishing Vincent van Gogh as a recognized artist. Through researchers like Hans Luijten and Emilie Gordenker, Shorto describes Johanna’s life from childhood to legacy, while introducing the modern context of how this story was finished and received in the last years. Story originally published in The New York Times Magazine.