This work is published to coincide with an exhibition in the USA of a group of Van Gogh's paintings from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The collection is based on works acquired directly from the artist by his brother. Among the treasures reproduced here are Potato Eaters, The Bedroom Self Portrait as an Artist, Wheatfield with Crows, and Harvest. Richard Kendall's essay addresses Van Gogh's major themes and the different phases of his career. John Leighton contributes a history of the Van Gogh Museum and a biography of the artist.