The life and death of Vincent van Gogh, pt. 1

October 16, 2011 12:46 PM

His paintings are among the most well-known in the world, just like the story of his life and death: Vincent van Gogh was a troubled genius who killed himself. But now the authors of a biography say their exhaustive investigation strongly indicates he may not have taken his own life. Morley Safer reports.

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by phenomenonquarterly October 18, 2011 7:18 PM EDT: Acclaimed Claremont scholar and expert on Van Gogh, William J. Havlicek, Ph.D. and author of "Van Gogh's Untold Journey" has written an article in response to Steven Naifeh and Greg Smith's new book "The Life and Death of Vincent van Gogh". Dr. Havlicek states "...The possibility that he did not commit suicide in the French town of Auvers-sur-Oise in 1890, as history has hitherto related, but was shot in an unfortunate accident warrants serious consideration..." Read he complete article in PDF at http://www.phenomenonquarterly.com/art/VanGoghArticle.pdf; Reply to this comment


by GeorgeVE October 18, 2011 3:45 PM EDT: Vincent was no crazier than half the idiots wandering our streets today and inhabiting the Government and Corporate offices. He had something they don't have, he saw the beauty of the world. That's what I have in common with him as an artist. The idiots of the world either killed him or drove him to do it.; Reply to this comment


by GeorgeVE October 18, 2011 3:41 PM EDT: Vincent was no crazier than half the idiots wandering our streets today and inhabiting the Government and Corporate offices. He had something they don't have, he saw the beauty of the world. That's what I have in common with him as an artist.; Reply to this comment


by Tralbaut October 18, 2011 12:15 PM EDT: The rumour that two boys shot Vincent has been around for decades. See for example page 259 of "Vincent van Gogh: chemicals, crises, and creativity," by Wilfred N. Arnold in 1992. There was nothing to support the rumour then and I see nothing now.; Reply to this comment


by artlover77 October 17, 2011 11:00 PM EDT: These Van Gogh detectives on 60 minutes have lots of computers, but no soul!
Here's a film by a guy who haunted Vincent's spirit through Provence and
got to paint sunflowers with the ghost. See for yourself.
Check it out: VAN GOGH ADVENTURE: VINCENT'S GHOST AND ME
here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU40quiHvE8&feature=feedu; Reply to this comment


by trutwin October 17, 2011 6:56 PM EDT: Your program on Vincent Van Gogh was outstanding, just incredible. I don't know how old I was when I saw my first Van Gogh but it had to be more than six decades ago and I've loved them ever since. I was lucky enough to see a couple of exhibitions of his work over the years at the Detroit Institute of Arts (which has a couple of Van Gogh's on display) and at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The man and his paintings in all their glory will continue to fascinate us forever.

I ordered Van Gogh: The Life by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith this afternoon and am eager to dive right in.

I also loved Morley Safer's 'walk' through the paintings, the people involved in pulling that off deserve a big round of applause.

My thanks also to Morley Safer who always does such a superb job. Also my thanks to everyone at 60 Minutes and I mean everyone top to bottom.; Reply to this comment


by evosoria October 17, 2011 6:10 PM EDT: if these guys would have actually done the research. they would also know that van gogh had the gun prior to his suicide. he used it to shoot into the wheat fields, so that it would scare the birds and they would fly up into the air so he could paint them. it was an old crappy gun which is why the bullet did not go all the way through. this entire segment is pointless and half-assed. worst book commercial i've ever seen.; Reply to this comment


by docbob4 October 17, 2011 5:52 PM EDT: The wavy yellow lines behind his self portrait and Stary, Stary Night. Have the researchers on the program ever given any thought to the fact that he may have been having optical migraines? I have had several of these over the last few weeks and essentially that is what I see. Another kind of epilepsy? docbob4; Reply to this comment


by archangel1943 October 17, 2011 5:49 PM EDT: No doubt the news that the great artist did not bump himself off will elicit disappointment from Hollywood, much of the media, and all those who love instructing talented young people to commit suicide, e.g., movies like "Dead Poets Society". After all, Mr. van G. was up to now believed to be one of Hollywood's original suicidal show-and-tell tortured artistic personalities. Now it turns out that "Vincent" was better than that; he was even greater than we had thought. I, for one, am very happy about that.; Reply to this comment


by OnTheRoad01 October 17, 2011 3:16 PM EDT: Just wondering, with everything else that is going on in this big old world of ours, are there really and truly people out there that care if he killed himself or was killed by someone else?? Just wondering?; Reply to this comment