05/28/2026
Vincent van Gogh, the brilliant artist we admire, was also an avid reader who found deep comfort in the written word. He described literature as an "irresistible passion," essential to his life just like bread. His favorite authors included Charles Dickens, Émile Zola, and Guy de Maupassant, alongside poetry from John Keats and timeless tales by Hans Christian Andersen.
Van Gogh saw reading as a sister art to painting, famously stating that "reading books is like looking at paintings." This perspective is beautifully reflected in his works, where he often depicted still lifes featuring the yellow-covered novels of modern French authors, capturing the joy of reading in his art. His letters are filled with literary quotes, showing how books provided him with emotional solace and a profound connection to humanity.