Each of my characters’ response to the Nazi persecution of Jews depends on a variety of complex factors. He inspires me to dig deeply into the backgrounds of my characters and the motivations behind their behaviors. Van Gogh is mostly known for his struggle with mental illness, which caused him to cut off his ear, but there is so much more to his story. I could spend all day in the Van Gogh Museum viewing his works, which pulse with vibrant color and emotion. My favorite Dutch artist is Vincent van Gogh, whose Sunflowers and Starry Night are easily recognizable. I search especially for a few vivid details that will bring the story to life-such as an eyewitness’s account of her emotions as she watched Nazi paratroopers spilling from airplanes in the dark of night. Naturally, a novel about WWII requires a lot of research, which I then distill into a story. Rembrandt’s work The Night Watch, which I saw in the Rijksmuseum, features enough fascinating characters to people an entire novel! For inspiration, I like to keep photographs on my desk of what I imagine my characters to look like, so I require a lot of diverse faces of various ages. I especially love the father’s expression in his painting Return of the Prodigal Son. Unlike other portrait artists of his day who minimized their subjects’ flaws, Rembrandt painted his characters as if peering into their souls, showing deep emotion in their facial expressions and eyes. One of my favorite artists, Rembrandt, did especially well with emotion in his paintings. In creating my characters, I tried to burrow deep inside their hearts, capturing their grief and fear as they faced the Nazis so my readers could experience it, too.

The Dutch declared neutrality when the war broke out, but the Nazis staged a surprise invasion and quickly overran the tiny country, turning the lives of my main characters-Lena, Miriam, and Ans-upside down. These great masters have been especially helpful in inspiring my newest novel, Chasing Shadows, which takes place in the Netherlands during World War II. There’s such beauty in the serene Dutch landscapes and so much depth in the portraits. I could spend hours there, and I’m always filled to the brim with creative inspiration afterwards. On my many trips to the Netherlands for book tours, my Dutch publisher has treated me to visits to their outstanding art museums, such as the Mauritshuis in The Hague and the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. When it comes to artists, I’ve found the Dutch masters particularly inspirational. Photo: Front cover of the Persian edition of Michael Bird’s book “Vincent’s Starry Night and Other Stories”.“‘Van Gogh engages you’ Sunflowers in front of Van Gogh Museum Museumplein Amsterdam Zuid” by *_* is licensed under CC BY 2.0 She has had exhibitions in Bristol, Bath, London and Stockholm.

Kate Evans is a freelance illustrator with clients including HarperCollins, The Guardian, Macmillan Books, National Geographic, Transport for London and V&A Magazine. He currently holds a Goodison Fellowship at the British Library, where he is researching the oral history of modern British art. He has also published many essays and articles, and lectures widely. His books include “100 Ideas that Changed Art”. Michael Bird is also a radio broadcaster. Let your child discover the wonder of art and history with “Vincent’s Starry Night and Other Stories”.

Discover artists and their art around the world, in exciting and imaginative tales about artists and the way they created their artwork. It also includes reproductions of featured artworks, a comprehensive timeline of events, and extra feature spreads on places connected with art.Īn essential reference book for all children who love art and stories, this book is the perfect blend of both. The book is made up of 68 chapters of stories about art through the ages. Take an enthralling journey by means of this book through 40,000 years of art and learn about everything from cave paintings to Cubism! Narges Entekhabi is the translator of the book originally published in 2016. Published by Now, the Persian edition also carries the original illustrations by Kate Evans. TEHRAN – “Vincent’s Starry Night and Other Stories: A Children’s History of Art” by the British author and art historian Michael Bird has been published in Persian.

Starry night book cover