Vincent van Gogh, the Dutch nineteenth century painter, renowned for his exuberant unconventional style and use of startlingly vibrant colour, has been recognised as an artistic genius for many years. His work is exhibited in major art galleries world-wide, there is a museum dedicated to him in Amsterdam and his work now sells for record breaking prices. Reproductions of his most well-known works, such as “Sunflowers“, “The Starry Night” and “Irises” (pictured above) have become so ubiquitous, they adorn everything from tea towels to iPad covers. Even those whose knowledge of art is meagre can identify a van Gogh. He’s almost as well known for going mad and cutting off his ear, a piece of sensationalist history that tends to dominate our knowledge of him. 

Few people however have heard of his sister-in-law, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger. Jo, who married Theo, Vincent’s brother, is the subject of “Saving Vincent“, a historical fiction novel by Joan Fernandez. To be released in April this year by shewritespress, (a hybrid publisher for women authors) the book is inspired by Jo’s mission to take van Gogh’s work from obscurity to world-wide renown. It’s hard to believe that his art was once reviled and ridiculed and that in his lifetime, he sold only one painting. Without his sister-in-law’s intervention the world of art would be so much the poorer.  

Fernandez says her story is “for book lovers who read historical fiction novels about strong women characters …”. I’ve long been a lover of van Gogh’s paintings and also of historical fiction featuring memorable women, so this book had instant appeal for me.  

It’s described as being in the tradition of “The Paris Bookseller” by Kerri Maher (previously reviewed by me here) and “Her Hidden Genius“by Marie Benedict. Women who have gone unheralded in history, despite their invaluable contributions in many fields are of course legion. This injustice is perhaps nowhere more evident than in the case of Jo van Gogh-Bonger, without whose passion and persistence the work of a genius would have been irretrievably lost. That her story has been virtually eclipsed by the artist she championed is not surprising given her gender and the era in which she lived.   

The story spans the period from Jo’s husband Theo’s death in 1891 through to 1905, when a retrospective exhibition of van Gogh’s work was staged at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, featuring 484 works. Although she would go on promoting and fostering interest in van Gogh’s work until the end of her life, this exhibition represented a watershed moment for Jo, bringing a mass collection of the artist’s work to the world’s attention for the first time.

The novel catalogues the almost insurmountable odds Jo confronted, when as a young, newly widowed mother of a newborn, battling insecurity, financial difficulties as well as prejudice and narrowmindedness, she set out to rescue the legacy of her late brother-in-law from oblivion and thereby redeem the birthright of her son, Vincentje.

Face to face with not only the patriarchy and its endemic misogyny, but her lack of knowledge and experience, Jo’s work is initially confounded at every turn, leaving her frequently on the brink of despair. But refusing to admit defeat, she commits herself to learning the rules of competition in the ruthless world of art dealing, which are as much about political maneuvering as they are about art.  Eventually, through persistence and instinctive business acumen, she beats the naysayers at their own game.

Fernandez also explores the development of Jo’s interest in socialism and women’s rights, areas in which she was also ahead of her time. In researching the novel, the author relied heavily on the correspondence between Vincent and Theo van Gogh. It’s not widely known that van Gogh was a prolific letter writer, mostly to his brother Theo. Of the remarkable trove of 840 letters that exist, Jo was also instrumental in publishing and translating this correspondence, a monumental feat in itself.

Fernandez’s book is a noteworthy reaffirmation of Jo van Gogh-Bonger’s crucial part in bringing van Gogh to the world, dramatically recreating the astounding emergence of masterpieces from what was considered by all but her and her late husband to be worthless junk.  

It’s a challenging feat to convey the emotional roller coaster her protagonist experiences over a number of years, one made more complex by its historical context. Largely Fernandez manages this well, however at times she labours the point, particularly in regard to Jo’s preoccupation with safeguarding Vincentje’s inheritance. Passages detailing particulars of art deals, while interesting in themselves tend to become repetitive, and often slow the pace unnecessarily. 

Most characters in the book are based on real figures, with the notable exception of Georges Raulf, an invention of the author. As Jo’s most formidable opponent, he is the symbolic antagonist writ large. While the author has clearly taken pains to make him a credible character, with some chapters being narrated in his voice, I found him too unrelievedly evil. His antics, particularly in the latter part of the book, smacked of melodrama.

Stephen Orr, writing in The Australian on 16 November 2024, says “It takes time to build up a complex, flawed life on a page, each verb and adjective competing for the smallest breath and bit of meaning.” Every life, whether historic or contemporary, is complex. For the writer the challenge exists in not only conveying the facts of a character’s life but persuading readers it’s one they should care about. When writing historical fiction, it’s a feat of fine discernment to get at the essence of a person while remaining broadly faithful to the historical record.

Apart from the issues described above, the author has achieved this. The strength of the book lies in her persuasive portrayal of a woman whose legacy remains largely unknown so that those, like me, who weren’t aware of her, can now give her the credit she deserves.

What’s so rewarding about historical fiction is it takes events and characters of the past and rewrites them so vividly that readers are inspired to revisit history for themselves. As indeed was I, gaining a new appreciation for this amazing artist and insight into how his works came to be known and loved the world over.