Noting that most scholars focus on Vincent van Gogh's relationship with his brother Theo, Schoeman, a historian and journalist, relates the story of Cornelis van Gogh, his other brother, who was 14 years younger. Drawing on the family context, he recounts Cornelis' life in the Netherlands and South Africa, including his education and working life in the Netherlands, his move to South Africa and work in the gold-mining industry and for the Netherlands South African Railway Company, his unhappy marriage, and his participation in the Second Anglo-Boer War, which led to his death at 32. Distributed by International Publishers Marketing (IPM). Annotation ©2016 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
The Unknown Van Gogh tells the story of Cornelis van Gogh, youngest brother of Vincent and Theo van Gogh. Using new insights based on original research, the book traces the circumstances of Cornelius's short life, from his pleasant childhood in the Netherlands, to his work in the gold-mining industry in the Transvaal Republic following his move to South Africa in 1889. The particulars of Cor's strained relationship with his famous brother are given, and his participation on the Boer side in the Anglo-Boer War is mapped out in greater detail, including his tragic demise in a hospital in Brandfort – one that holds a troubling resemblance to Vincent’s own tragic end.
Chris Schoeman’s biography of the lesser-known Van Gogh brother reveals a side of art history never before explored with such scrutiny, recreating the last decade of nineteenth-century South Africa, and providing fresh analysis on a family that continues to intrigue both historians and the general public.
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Noting that most scholars focus on Vincent van Gogh's relationship with his brother Theo, Schoeman, a historian and journalist, relates the story of Cornelis van Gogh, his other brother, who was 14 years younger. Drawing on the family context, he recounts Cornelis' life in the Netherlands and South Africa, including his education and working life in the Netherlands, his move to South Africa and work in the gold-mining industry and for the Netherlands South African Railway Company, his unhappy marriage, and his participation in the Second Anglo-Boer War, which led to his death at 32.
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