For historical fiction fans of women’s untold true stories, an early twentieth century novel about Jo van Gogh who battled the male-dominated art elite in her fifteen-year crusade to save her genius brother-in-law Vincent from obscurity.
In the tradition of The Paris Bookseller and Her Hidden Genius, the story of a real woman overshadowed in history by the giant talent she saved, Vincent van Gogh.
How did a failed belligerent Dutch painter become one of the greatest artists of our time?
In 1891, timid Jo van Gogh Bonger lives safely in the background of her art dealer husband Theo’s passionate work to sell unknown artists, especially his ill-fated dead brother Vincent. When Theo dies unexpectedly, Jo’s brief happiness is shattered. Her inheritance—hundreds of unsold paintings by Vincent—is worthless. Pressured to move to her parents’ home, Jo defies tradition, opening a boarding house to raise her infant son alone, and choosing to promote Vincent’s art herself. But her ingenuity and persistence draw the powerful opposition of a Parisian art dealer who vows to stop her once and for all, and so sink Vincent into obscurity.
Saving Vincent reveals there was more than one genius in the Van Gogh family.
Genre: Historical
In the tradition of The Paris Bookseller and Her Hidden Genius, the story of a real woman overshadowed in history by the giant talent she saved, Vincent van Gogh.
How did a failed belligerent Dutch painter become one of the greatest artists of our time?
In 1891, timid Jo van Gogh Bonger lives safely in the background of her art dealer husband Theo’s passionate work to sell unknown artists, especially his ill-fated dead brother Vincent. When Theo dies unexpectedly, Jo’s brief happiness is shattered. Her inheritance—hundreds of unsold paintings by Vincent—is worthless. Pressured to move to her parents’ home, Jo defies tradition, opening a boarding house to raise her infant son alone, and choosing to promote Vincent’s art herself. But her ingenuity and persistence draw the powerful opposition of a Parisian art dealer who vows to stop her once and for all, and so sink Vincent into obscurity.
Saving Vincent reveals there was more than one genius in the Van Gogh family.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"Art history buffs - like me - who never learned how van Gogh's paintings survived will welcome Saving Vincent. Drawing on voluminous research, Fernandez brings to life the unexpected story of Jo van Gogh Bonger. I found it tremendously gratifying to discover the vital role she played at a time when women were virtually excluded from the art world." - Jude Berman
"Saving Vincent, Fernandez's immersive rendering of Jo van Gogh Bonger's real-life efforts to rescue Vincent van Gogh's art from obscurity, is a story of such substance readers won't want to miss a single word." - N J Mastro
"We all know van Gogh's work - and now Joan Fernandez's debut introduces us to Jo van Gogh, who helped create the artist's legacy. Saving Vincent is a luminous, captivating novel about a woman who was truly ahead of her time." - Camille Pagán
"You've probably never heard of Jo van Gogh, but were it not for her, none of us would have ever known there was a Vincent van Gogh. In this skillfully researched and propulsive story, Joan Fernandez shares the untold history of a true unsung heroine who saved her brother-in-law's artwork and legacy. You will root for Jo van Gogh from beginning to end." - Renée Rosen
"Saving Vincent, Fernandez's immersive rendering of Jo van Gogh Bonger's real-life efforts to rescue Vincent van Gogh's art from obscurity, is a story of such substance readers won't want to miss a single word." - N J Mastro
"We all know van Gogh's work - and now Joan Fernandez's debut introduces us to Jo van Gogh, who helped create the artist's legacy. Saving Vincent is a luminous, captivating novel about a woman who was truly ahead of her time." - Camille Pagán
"You've probably never heard of Jo van Gogh, but were it not for her, none of us would have ever known there was a Vincent van Gogh. In this skillfully researched and propulsive story, Joan Fernandez shares the untold history of a true unsung heroine who saved her brother-in-law's artwork and legacy. You will root for Jo van Gogh from beginning to end." - Renée Rosen
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Used availability for Joan Fernandez's Saving Vincent