Vincent van Gogh (Groot-Zundert; Brabant; 1853 ndash; Auvers-sur-Oise; 1890)La vie et loeuvre de Vincent van Gogh sont si eacute;troitement lieacute;es quil est quasiment impossible de voir ses toiles sans y lire le reacute;cit de sa vie : van Gogh est en effet devenu lincarnation du martyr souffrant et incompris de lart moderne; lemblegrave;me de lartiste marginal. Le premier article; publieacute; en 1890; donnait des deacute;tails sur la maladie de van Gogh. Lauteur de larticle voyait le peintre comme un laquo;geacute;nie terrible et deacute;ment; souvent sublime; parfois grotesque; toujours agrave; la limite du cas pathologique raquo;. On sait tregrave;s peu de choses sur lenfance de Vincent. Aacute; lacirc;ge de 11 ans; il dut quitter le laquo;nid humain raquo;; comme il le nommait lui-mecirc;me; pour poursuivre sa scolariteacute; dans divers internats. Le premier portrait nous montre van Gogh comme un jeune homme seacute;rieux de dix-neuf ans. A cette eacute;poque; il avait deacute;jagrave; travailleacute; trois ans agrave; La Haye et ensuite agrave; Londres; dans la galerie Goupil Co. En 1874; son amour pour Ursula Loyer sacheva dans un deacute;sastre et un an plus tard; il fut transfeacute;reacute; agrave; Paris; contre son greacute;. A lissue dune discussion particuliegrave;rement violente au moment des fecirc;tes de Noeuml;l 1881; son pegrave;re; pasteur; ordonna agrave; Vincent de partir. Avec cette ultime rupture; il abandonna son nom de famille; signant ses toiles dun simple laquo;Vincent raquo;. Il se rendit agrave; Paris et ne retourna jamais en Hollande. Aacute; Paris il fit la connaissance de Paul Gauguin; dont il admirait eacute;normeacute;ment les peintures. Lautoportrait fut le principal sujet de Vincent de 1886 agrave; 1888. En feacute;vrier 1888; Vincent quitta Paris pour Arles; et essaya de persuader Gauguin de le rejoindre. Les mois passeacute;s agrave; attendre Gauguin furent les plus productifs de la vie de van Gogh. Il voulait montrer agrave; son ami autant de toiles que possible et deacute;corer la Maison jaune. Mais Gauguin ne partageait pas sa vision de lart et rentra finalement agrave; Paris.Le 7 janvier 1889; quatorze jours apregrave;s son automutilation; Vincent quitta lhocirc;pital. Ignorant sa propre folie; il espeacute;rait se reacute;tablir et oublier; mais en reacute;aliteacute;; il y retourna deux fois cette anneacute;e lagrave;. Au cours de son ultime seacute;jour agrave; lhocirc;pital; Vincent peignit des paysages dans lesquels il recreacute;ait le monde de son enfance. On dit que Vincent van Gogh se tira une balle dans la tempe dans un champ; mais deacute;cida de rentrer agrave; lhocirc;tel et de se coucher. Le proprieacute;taire informa le Dr Gachet et son fregrave;re; Theo ; ce dernier deacute;crivit les derniers instants de sa vie qui prit fin le 29 juillet 1890 : laquo;Je voulais mourir. Mais jeacute;tais assis agrave; son chevet; lui promettant que nous allions le gueacute;rir. [...] raquo;; il reacute;pondit : laquo;La tristesse durera toujours. raquo;
#3816224 in eBooks 2012-03-22 2012-03-22File Name: B00GOMZOF4
Review
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Excellent book: a great companion to a great cameraBy Erik van DortI bought Darrellrsquo;s book at the same time as the camera; and only bothered to open the Nikon User Manual after 2 months of using the camera and Darrelrsquo;s book. OK; I was helped by the fact that I upgraded from a Nikon D80 to D610 (what a great decision that was!); so I knew the Nikon Digital SLR basics quite well. When new to (Nikon) digital SLR photography the user manual (p35-72) might be a better starting point; but then still you want to switch to ldquo;Mastering the Nikon D610rdquo;.Darrellrsquo;s book consists of two main parts: 1. How to configure the camera (chapters 2-7). 2. How to make good pictures using the best of the D610 specifics (chapters 8 -13).The first part has a great ldquo;reading guiderdquo; in chapter 2; which suggests what 30+ settings for you to set out of the 100 available. That will take you a bit of time; but it is a great introduction to the camera capabilities. And Darrellrsquo;s suggestions; on what settings to use in what kind of situations; is extremely helpful.In the second part of the book Darrell goes into more depth on specific topics like how to use histograms to judge your own picture exposures; how to work with white balance; how to work with the wide variety of options the camera offers on different autofocus modes; making films; flash photography and more.Darrell has an open view; he is not shy admitting that some of the ldquo;amateurrdquo; settings; typical for point and shoot photographing are actually also pretty useful for prorsquo;s in certain circumstances. Example is the Auto-Area Auto Focus mode that is great in recognizing people faces to automatically have the camera focus on; what is really great when shooting at parties.The style is pleasant to read; and there are nice side steps like for example the insightful where Darrellrsquo;s ldquo;letrsquo;s listen to the camera talk to itself while you take pictures in low light with the Auto ISO-sensitivity control enabledrdquo;. Fun to read and a great way to learn.Nothing to criticize? Well OK; Darrell chooses to explain for every setting; that you (1) choose the option from the menu; (2) select the value and then (3) press OK. With 100 options that work like that; that is taking a bit more space than necessary. No worry you will learn to skip those parts quickly.In summary this is absolutely a book you donrsquo;t want to miss out on; a great companion to a great camera!8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. The Finest Nikon D610 guide book available. Now and forver!By Victor M. PalaciosIn the past I have purchase many camera book guides; and I can tell you with utmost confidence that by far this is the very best of them all. In a clear concise manner and chapter by chapter it covers every aspect of the workings and operation of this very fine camera. I cannot recommend it too highly. If you own the D610 you must have this book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Superb; Yet Challenging Book for the Rising Amatuer PhotographerBy Mark W. JohnsonI considered giving this book four stars because in some areas it is very difficult to understand. However; as I have used it over and over again; I have found that the difficulty is my own ignorance of different areas of photography. By using the book; I have been able to push myself into areas with which I am unfamiliar and as a result; am learning more about my camera and photography in general than I would have ever expected. If you are stepping up to the more complex D610 from an amateur background; I would highly recommend this book.
