For the months of March and April, we will be taking a look at two different pieces – a movie and a novel! The novel, Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser has a print length of 368 pages, so we will be reading it over the course of two months rather than our usual one month. Therefore, we decided that we will be screening the movie, Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers for our February 2026 meeting along with sharing our first impressions of Mona’s Eyes. A full discussion of Mona’s Eyes will take place on our April 2026 meeting date.
Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers Movie Overview
The movie, Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers, is based on a catalog of the same title published by the National Gallery London and written by Cornelia Homburg. This 1 hour 29 minute documentary film, created o celebrate a century of Van Gogh at the National Gallery, takes viewers on an immersive journey into the world of one of art’s most celebrated—and often misunderstood—masters. With exclusive access to the “Poets & Lovers” exhibition, every luminous brushstroke and textured ridge of impasto is captured in breathtaking cinematic detail
Mona’s Eyes: A Novel by Thomas Schlesser – Overview (from Amazon.com)
Ten-year-old Mona and her beloved grandfather have only fifty-two Wednesdays to visit fifty-two works of art and commit to memory “all that is beautiful in the world” before Mona loses her sight forever.
While the doctors can find no explanation for Mona’s brief episode of blindness, they agree that the threat of permanent vision loss cannot be ruled out. The girl’s grandfather, Henry, may not be able to stop his granddaughter from losing her sight, but he can fill the encroaching darkness with beauty. Every Wednesday for a year, the pair abscond together and visit a single masterpiece in one of Paris’s renowned museums. From Botticelli to Basquiat, Mona learns how each artist’s work shaped the world around them. In turn, the young girl’s world is changed forever by the power of their art. Under the kind and careful tutelage of her grandfather, Mona learns the true meaning of generosity, melancholy, love, loss, and revolution. Her perspective will never be the same—nor will the reader’s.
Mona’s Eyes is a heartfelt, enlightening journey across five centuries of Western art history. With the emotional impact of The Elegance of the Hedgehog and the readability of The Little Paris Bookshop, Thomas Schlesser’s sensational debut novel is at once a moving book about the beauty of life and a deeply touching story about the special bond between a girl and her grandfather.
Where to Access the Movie – Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers
Please be advised that the link provided below is an affiliate link. Kim Cesaretti, artist, will receive a small commission on any sales made via the link at no additional cost to the buyer. Thank you in advance for supporting the artist’s educational outreach efforts. Happy reading!
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Next Book Club Meeting
Art Book Club/Media Meetings take place on the second Fridays of the month at 1pm. Check the events calendar for more information.
