The Sunflowers are Mine, the story of Van Gogh’s Masterpieces by Martin Bailey, not only sheds light on the circumstances which led to the creation of the seven sunflower still lifes, but bore witness to the lasting influence this wonderful and original artist had on Modern Art. Bailey bases the book on his own meticulous research and brings to the reader the talented life of dear troubled Vincent. It is a wonderful insight, and what’s more it coincides with The National’s major 2024 exhibition on Van Gogh.

The Sunflowers are Mine will whet your appetite for Van Gogh’s Finale – Anvers and the Artist’s Rise to Fame – also by Martin Bailey. This is a definitive account of the final days of Vincent, and all that followed. Bailey examines the departure of Vincent from the asylum in Saint-Remy until the shooting that brought his life to an end, and with it any further stunning work… But enough of what might have been, Bailey then delves deeper int the story of the artist’s death unearthing little known details, and then in the third part, we accompany him as he shows us how Van Gogh, though gone in some ways, rose to international renown and became one of the world’s most popular and vibrant artists.

Martin Bailey loves Van Gogh as much as I do, or so I think anyway. He brings this extraordinary man and his work to life in the most accessible way. Bailey has written several bestselling books on Van Gogh and curated several exhibitions on Vincent, including the major Van Gogh exhibition at Tate Britain in 2019, which thrilled me. He is also the London based correspondent for The Art Newspaper. Oh do buy both books, priced at £10.99 each in paperback, and they are also in eBook. They are utterly wonderful.