Of
all the novels published by Norman Beaupré, The Boy With
the Blue Cap — Van Gogh in Arles is one that holds a special
place in this writer’s heart and creative imagination because
it’s a work melding together historical fiction and the fine
arts.
Professor Emeritus Beaupré
enjoyed teaching world literature and French Impressionism as well
as Post-Impressionism during his college career. Over the years, he
developed a special liking for Van Gogh, the man, his drawings and
his paintings. This novel deals with 73 of Van Gogh’s paintings
in Arles as well as in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The story is
told by a young precocious boy, Camille Roulin, son of the postal
worker, Joseph Roulin. Van Gogh painted the portraits of the entire
Roulin family while in Arles. The reader is brought into Van Gogh’s
world of vibrant color and accomplished artistry by means of a close
relationship with a boy who is privileged to follow the artist around
in his many excursions throughout the countryside of Arles as well
as other places frequented by the artist. The artist at work relates
to the boy his techniques and theories on painting and drawing. The
novel not only deals with the aesthetic side of Van Gogh but also
introduces us to his spiritual side so often neglected by some authors
and art critics. Also, as part of the novel’s plot based on plausible
happenings in and around Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, an element of intrigue
is added with the introduction of two gypsy women in Van Gogh’s
life. Gypsies find sacred ground at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer where
their favored black saint, Sara-la-kâli, is kept in the crypt
of the local church. They dress her up and put scarves and ribbons
on her statue. Every year gypsies hold their annual pilgrimage and
they come from across Europe to this sacred shrine. Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
on the Mediterranean shore inspired Van Gogh to paint some of his
scenes filled with vibrant colors. The novel has a way of weaving
the artistic life of Van Gogh, including the bold presence of Gauguin,
while telling the story of a boy, Camille Roulin, and his family drawn
to a stranger whose exploits and talent to paint in an extraordinary
way are seen from his viewpoint as an observant boy fascinated by
words and colors. The novel also captures the life and flavor of Provençal
life during the period of eighteen months Van Gogh lived and painted
in Arles and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
The author traveled to
Arles, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer in
2005 to do research for his novel. The following year he went to Amsterdam
to continue his research and to view the actual painting of the “boy
with the blue cap” simply named, Camille Roulin,” at the
Van Gogh Museum.
ISBN: 978-1-60594-153-0
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-60594-153-7 Hard copy
ISBN: 978-1-60594-153-4 eBook
Language: English
Published by Llumina
Press in the following formats
Hardcover - Paperback - eBook.
Also available at
Amazon.com.
