‘Lust for Life’: The Van Gogh book designed to fit in pockets of US soldiers during the Second World War

Irving Stone's 1934 novel *Lust for Life*, a fictionalized biography of Vincent van Gogh, was published as an Armed Services Edition during World War II for U.S. soldiers. These pocket-sized books, measuring 11cm by 17cm, were designed to fit in uniform pockets and withstand harsh conditions. Over 123 million copies of various titles were printed from 1943 to 1947, with distribution including parachute drops to troops on Pacific islands and handouts to soldiers before the Normandy Landings. The surviving copies are scarce and often damaged, with browned pages and covers marked as U.S. government property, not to be resold.

International artists speak of life as resistance, inspired by George Grosz: The exhibition in Rome

Artisti internazionali parlano della vita come resistenza, ispirandosi a George Grosz. La mostra a Roma

Tim Van Laere Gallery in Rome is hosting "Lust for Life," a group exhibition that explores the human impulse for creative resistance against societal fragility and global conflict. The show is anchored by the historical works of German artist George Grosz, whose drawings from 1912 to 1947 depict the alienation, loss of identity, and physical decay caused by world wars and totalitarian power.

Spanish Joy Illuminates Paintings By Danish Artist Anders SCRMN Meisner In First Solo New York Show At Isabel Sullivan Gallery

Danish artist Anders SCRMN Meisner presents his first solo exhibition in New York at Isabel Sullivan Gallery, featuring 14 new paintings inspired by what he calls a "European lust for life." The show, on view through November 29, includes works such as *Blue Flamenco Shoes and Portrait* (2025), *Orange Blossom Water (Like Wild Horses)*, and *The Flower Picker* (2025), which draw on flamenco motifs, Sevillian culture, and folk-inspired imagery. Meisner, who lived in Seville in his 20s, infuses his canvases with vivid blues, reds, and yellows, often depicting his wife Carolina and using pointillist dots and poetic titles painted directly on the canvas.