Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) wrote more than 900 letters throughout his life. He believed that writing was an art equal to painting, and placed his utmost care in expressing himself finely, with words which reflected his convoluted personal feelings. These letters, written mostly to his brother, Theo, but also to friends and his sister, Wil, offer a penetrating and comprehensive insight into the life of van Gogh not only as an artist, but also as...

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) was a Russian painter credited as being among the first to truly venture into abstract art. He persisted in expressing his internal world of abstraction despite negative criticism from his peers. He veered away from painting that could be viewed as representational in order to express his emotions, leading to his unique use of colour and form. Although his works received heavy censure at the time, in later years they...