Vincent - Barbara Stok

Vincent 
by Barbara Stok

Arles, 1888. Vincent van Gogh arrives in the south of France in search of light, colour, and a fresh start. Far from Paris and the pressures of the art world, he throws himself into his work with a burning intensity, painting sunflowers, wheat fields, and starry skies at a furious pace. He dreams of founding an artists' community, and for a while it seems within reach when his friend Paul Gauguin comes to stay. But as their friendship grows strained, the fragile stability Vincent has built begins to crack, plunging him into one of the most turbulent periods of his life — one marked by breakdowns, hospitalisation, and, through it all, an unshakeable devotion to his art.

In her signature warm, accessible style, acclaimed cartoonist Barbara Stok brings van Gogh's story vividly to life, moving beyond the myth of the tortured genius to show a man full of curiosity, humour, and an almost childlike wonder at the world around him. Commissioned by the Van Gogh Museum, Vincent draws on the artist's own letters to his brother Theo, weaving his words directly into the story. The result is a graphic novel that is tender, funny, and quietly devastating — an international bestseller translated into more than twenty languages, and the book that marked Stok's breakthrough as a graphic novelist.

Barbara Stok (b. 1970, Groningen) is one of the Netherlands' most celebrated cartoonists, known for blending sharp storytelling with a warm, accessible drawing style. After years of autobiographical comics, she turned to graphic biography with acclaimed books on Vincent van Gogh (Vincent) and, later, the philosopher Hipparchia in The Philosopher, the Dog and the Wedding. Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages and has earned her numerous awards.