Jo van Gogh-Bonger

WINNER OF THE 2023 MARY LYNN KOTZ AWARD FOR ART IN LITERATURE
It is so good, after so many years of public indifference, even hostility towards Vincent and his work, to feel towards the end of my life that the battle is won.'
JO VAN GOGH-BONGER TO GUSTAVE COQUIOT, 1922
'It is a sacrifice for the sake of Vincent's glory.'
JO VAN GOGH-BONGER ON THE SALE OF 'THE SUNFLOWERS' TO THE NATIONAL GALLERY, UK, 1924
Little known but no less influential, Jo van Gogh-Bonger was sister-in-law of Vincent van Gogh, wife of his brother, Theo. When the brothers died soon after each other, she took charge of Van Gogh's artistic legacy and devoted the rest of her life to disseminating his work.
Despite being widowed with a young son, Jo successfully navigated the male-dominated world of the art market-publishing Van Gogh's letters, organizing exhibitions in the Netherlands and throughout the world, and making strategic sales to private individuals and influential dealers-ultimately establishing Van Gogh's reputation as one of the finest artists of his generation. In doing so, she fundamentally changed how we view the relationship between the artist and his work.
She also lived a rich and fascinating life-not only was she friends with eminent writers and artists, but she also was active within the Social Democratic Labour Party and closely involved in emerging women's movements.
Using rich source material, including unseen diaries, documents and letters, Hans Luijten charts the multi-faceted life of this visionary woman with the drive to shake the art world to its core.

Hans Luijten is Senior Researcher at the Van Gogh Museum. He is the author of Van Gogh and Love (2007) and Alles voor Vincent (2019). Luijten also edited Vincent van Gogh, Painted with Words: The Letters to Emile Bernard (2007), the six-volume Vincent van Gogh - The Letters: The Complete Illustrated and Annotated Edition (2009, vangoghletters.org) and Jo Bonger's previously unpublished diaries (bongerdiaries.org). His books have been published in various languages, including English, Dutch, French and Chinese.
Lynne Richards is a professional translator and Dutch-English editor specializing in art history, general history and the humanities. Her recent translations include A History of the Netherlands (Bloomsbury, 2015) and Jo Bonger's diaries (2019), a four-volume bi-lingual publication available digitally at bongerdiaries.org. Since 1998, she has been a partner of Lynne & Paul Richards Translations.

Introduction: 'An Amsterdam girl'
Part One: A respectable middle-class family-the Bongers, 1862-88
1. A carefree childhood in a harmonious family
2. HBS and training as an English teacher
3. Translator, teacher and love for Eduard Stumpff
Part Two: Initiation into art-the Van Goghs, 1888-91
4. Prelude to her marriage to Theo van Gogh
5. Married life and motherhood in Paris
6. Life with the duality of Theo and Vincent
Part Three: Boarding house keeper with an attic full of art, 1891-1901
7. Back in the Netherlands-Villa Helma in Bussum
8. Contacts with Jan Veth, Jan Toorop and Richard Roland Holst
9. Playing with fire-Isaac Israëls
Part Four: Second marriage and concentrated promotion of Van Gogh's work, 1901-5
10. Johan Cohen Gosschalk-Villa Eikenhof in Bussum
11. Reviewing books and promoting Van Gogh-back in Amsterdam
Part Five: Van Gogh goes from strength to strength, 1905-12
12. A magnificent exhibition in the summer of 1905
13. The art dealers Gaston Bernheim, Paul Cassirer and Johannes de Bois
14. Contracts for publication of Van Gogh's letters
Part Six: Efforts for social democracy and publication of Van Gogh's letters, 1912-25
15. The Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij (SDAP)
16. The publication of Brieven aan zijn broeder (Letters to his Brother) (1914)
17. New York-translations of the letters into English
18. A sacrifice for Vincent's glory
Epilogue: 'An exceptional example for women'
Notes
Illustrations
Abbreviations
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Index of Names and Titles