About Artist Vincent Van Gogh
About Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most widely recognized and influential figures in the history of Impressionism and Western art in general. He did not embark upon a career as an artist until 1880 and in only a little over a decade he created an estimated 2,100 artworks, including about 860 oil paintings.
Born born in the Netherlands on March 30, 1853, to an upper-middle-class family, Van Gogh was a serious, quiet and thoughtful child who enjoyed drawing. As a young man he worked as an art dealer, often travelling, but became depressed after he was transferred to London. Turning to religion, he spent time as a Protestant missionary in southern Belgium but moved home with his parents in 1881 when he began to produce his own artwork. He was supported by his brother Theo, an art dealer, who submitted many of his work to the Salon Des Indepenents in France. He and Theo corresponded often and so much is known about Van Gogh and his paintings because of these letters.
Van Gogh's early paintings were primarily still lifes and landscapes with workers or peasants. These early works lacked the bright colors and bold strokes which he later produced. In 1886 he moved to Paris and met artists of the Impressionist Movement such as Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin. It was during this time that Van Gogh started using a brighter palette and the bold brushwork he is so well known for. Van Gogh was also a fan of Japanese woodblock prints and some of his best-known paintings reflect that interest. Van Gogh suffered from depression, psychotic episodes and delusions and while his mental state concerned him, he took very poor care of himself, drinking in excess and eating poorly. His friendship with Gauguin ended in a confrontation involving a razor and it was then that Van Gogh cut part of his left ear off. Realizing his poor mental state, Van Gogh admitted himself to psychiatric hospitals, including the one at Saint-Rémy where he produced many of his best known works such as The Starry Night. After discharging himself he moved to the Auberge Ravoux in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris. However, his depression continued and on 27 July 1890, Van Gogh shot himself in the chest with a revolver. Two days later on July 29 1890 he died from this injury.
Our article on Van Gogh and this painting was sourced from https:WikiArt.org, https://en.wikipedia.org.
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