Vincent van Gogh

Who Was Vincent van Gogh?

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-Impressionist painter, renowned for his vivid, emotionally charged artwork. His use of bold colors and expressive brushstrokes greatly influenced modern art, although he remained relatively unknown during his lifetime. Van Gogh battled with mental illness throughout his life, which, along with his financial struggles, contributed to his tragic personal story.

Early Life and Family

Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853, in Groot-Zundert, Netherlands. His father, Theodorus van Gogh, was a strict country minister, while his mother, Anna Cornelia Carbentus, was an artist with a love for nature and watercolors, a passion she passed on to her son. A deeply significant and somber part of van Gogh’s early life was his birth, which occurred exactly one year after the stillbirth of his parents’ first son, also named Vincent. Growing up with his deceased brother’s name and birthdate already inscribed on a headstone, van Gogh developed a sense of melancholy that lingered throughout his life.

As the eldest of six surviving siblings, Vincent had two brothers, Theo and Cor, and three sisters, Anna, Elizabeth, and Willemien. Theo, who later became an art dealer, was particularly significant in Vincent’s life, offering financial and emotional support as well as promoting his brother’s art.

Early Life and Education

At the age of 15, van Gogh’s family faced financial hardship, prompting him to leave school and work for his uncle Cornelis’ art dealership, Goupil & Cie., in The Hague. During this time, van Gogh became fluent in French, German, and English, in addition to his native Dutch.

In 1873, van Gogh was transferred to the Goupil Gallery in London, where he embraced English culture and became captivated by the works of Charles Dickens and George Eliot. His time in London, however, was marked by personal turmoil. He fell in love with his landlady’s daughter, Eugenie Loyer, but was devastated when she rejected his proposal. This rejection, along with the strain of his unfulfilling work, led to a breakdown. Van Gogh abandoned his literary interests, keeping only the Bible, and turned his focus toward religion. His increasingly erratic behavior at work, including urging customers not to purchase “worthless” art, eventually led to his dismissal.

This period marked the beginning of van Gogh’s complex journey through life, one defined by his struggles with mental health, artistic evolution, and eventual posthumous recognition as one of the most influential artists of all time.

Life as a Preacher

Vincent van Gogh, raised in a devout religious family, found himself deeply considering a life in the church when he began teaching at a Methodist boys’ school and preaching to the congregation. His commitment to religion grew, leading him to prepare for the entrance exam to the School of Theology in Amsterdam. However, after a year of intense study, van Gogh refused to take the Latin exams, dismissing Latin as a “dead language” that disconnected the church from the common people. As a result, he was denied admission.

Van Gogh later volunteered to preach in the impoverished coal-mining region of southern Belgium, a place where preachers were often sent as a form of punishment. There, he ministered to the sick and destitute while sketching the lives of miners and their families. The locals affectionately referred to him as the “Christ of the Coal Mines.” However, the evangelical committees were displeased with his austere lifestyle, which they felt resembled self-imposed martyrdom. They chose not to renew his contract, forcing van Gogh to seek a new path.

Finding Solace in Art

By the fall of 1880, van Gogh had decided to pursue a career as an artist. Lacking formal training, he moved to Brussels, relying on financial support from his brother Theo. Van Gogh taught himself through the study of books and works by renowned artists like Jean-François Millet and Charles Bargue. Art became an emotional outlet for him, and in 1885, he completed The Potato Eaters, a work often considered his first masterpiece. Despite Theo’s reservations about its reception in Paris, where Impressionism was gaining popularity, van Gogh eventually relocated to the city.

In Paris, van Gogh was introduced to the vibrant world of Impressionist art, which greatly influenced his style. He studied alongside artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Camille Pissarro, and often posed for friends to save on the cost of models. His intense passion for art sometimes led to heated debates with fellow artists, causing some to distance themselves from him.

Love Life

Van Gogh’s romantic relationships were often fraught with difficulty. He was drawn to women in distress, believing he could rescue them. His infatuation with his recently widowed cousin, Kate, ended in rejection when she fled back to Amsterdam. Van Gogh then moved to The Hague, where he fell in love with Clasina Maria Hoornik, an alcoholic prostitute. Hoornik became his companion and muse for a time, but her return to prostitution devastated van Gogh. His family, disapproving of the relationship, threatened to cut off his financial support unless he left her and The Hague, which he reluctantly did in 1882.

After leaving, van Gogh wandered through the remote district of Drenthe, living a nomadic life while painting the landscape and its people. This period marked another chapter of emotional and creative exploration for the troubled artist.

Arles and Japanese Influence

Van Gogh’s fascination with Japanese art and Eastern philosophy shaped both his artistic vision and personal aspirations. Although he dreamt of traveling to Japan, his friend Toulouse-Lautrec suggested that the light in the village of Arles, France, was comparable. In February 1888, van Gogh moved to Arles, where he rented the now-famous “yellow house.” Despite his limited funds, he prioritized art supplies over basic necessities like food.

Paintings and Legacy

Throughout his life, Vincent van Gogh created more than 2,100 works of art, including 860 oil paintings and over 1,300 watercolors, sketches, and drawings. Many of his paintings are now considered some of the most valuable in the world, with Irises selling for $53.9 million and Portrait of Dr. Gachet fetching $82.5 million. Some of his most iconic works include:

• Starry Night: Painted in 1889 while van Gogh was in a mental asylum in Saint-Rémy, this masterpiece is a vibrant mix of imagination and observation. The swirling night sky, paired with a serene village below, is dominated by a towering cypress tree. The painting is now housed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
• Sunflowers: Van Gogh painted two series of sunflowers while in Arles, with five versions created between 1888 and 1889. These vivid depictions of wilting sunflowers are displayed in museums across London, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Munich, and Philadelphia.
• Irises: Created shortly after van Gogh entered the Saint-Rémy asylum, Irises reflects the influence of Japanese woodblock prints. The painting was praised by French critic Octave Mirbeau, who was one of van Gogh’s earliest supporters.
• Self-Portraits: Van Gogh painted over 43 self-portraits, seeking to capture a deeper likeness than photography could provide. These portraits are scattered across major museums around the world, offering a glimpse into the artist’s evolving self-perception.

Van Gogh’s legacy endures, not only through his masterful body of work but also through the turbulent yet passionate life he led, forever changing the course of art history.

Vincent van Gogh: A Life of Struggles and Legacy

In December 1888, Vincent van Gogh, residing in Arles, France, was struggling with both physical and mental health issues. Living on a minimal diet of coffee, bread, and absinthe, his health deteriorated, and his psychological state worsened. During this period, van Gogh was known to have consumed turpentine and ingested paint, highlighting the depth of his suffering. His brother, Theo, concerned for his well-being, enlisted Paul Gauguin to stay with Vincent in an attempt to provide him with support.

However, the relationship between van Gogh and Gauguin quickly became strained, leading to constant arguments. One night, Gauguin decided to leave, prompting van Gogh to follow him with a razor in hand. Hours later, in a tragic turn, van Gogh went to a local brothel, offering a prostitute named Rachel his severed ear, instructing her to “keep this object carefully.” The next morning, the police found van Gogh in his room, and he was admitted to the Hôtel-Dieu hospital. His condition was dire, and Theo arrived on Christmas Day to find his brother weak from blood loss and suffering violent seizures. Fortunately, the doctors assured Theo that Vincent would survive. On January 7, 1889, van Gogh was released from the hospital but remained mentally unstable and depressed.

In an attempt to regain some sense of purpose, van Gogh turned to painting and the natural surroundings of Arles. Despite this, he found little peace and was hospitalized again, spending his days painting at the yellow house and his nights in the hospital.

The Asylum Years

Van Gogh’s mental health issues led the people of Arles to petition for his relocation, deeming him a danger to himself and others. In May 1889, he entered the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where he began painting again, focusing on the hospital gardens. In November 1889, he was invited to exhibit his works in Brussels, sending six paintings, including Irises and Starry Night.

In early 1890, Theo and his wife Johanna welcomed a son, Vincent Willem van Gogh, named after his uncle. Around the same time, Theo sold one of Vincent’s paintings, The Red Vineyards, for 400 francs. Van Gogh’s mental health continued to deteriorate, but he found a glimmer of hope when Dr. Paul Gachet, a physician in Auvers-sur-Oise, agreed to take him on as a patient. Vincent moved to Auvers and rented a room, hoping for a fresh start.

The Final Days

On July 27, 1890, van Gogh set out to paint, carrying a loaded pistol. He shot himself in the chest, but the bullet did not immediately kill him. Found hours later in his room, bleeding, Vincent was taken to the hospital. His brother Theo was summoned and arrived to find Vincent conscious, smoking a pipe and engaging in conversation. Over the next two days, they spoke together, with van Gogh asking Theo to take him home.

On July 29, 1890, Vincent van Gogh passed away in Theo’s arms, at the age of 37. Theo, already suffering from syphilis and deeply affected by his brother’s death, died just six months later in a Dutch asylum. Theo was initially buried in Utrecht, but in 1914, his wife Johanna, a strong supporter of van Gogh’s legacy, had his remains reburied in the Auvers cemetery, beside his brother.

Van Gogh’s Legacy

After Vincent’s death, Johanna van Gogh worked tirelessly to preserve and promote his works, although many pieces had been destroyed by van Gogh’s own mother, who had discarded crates full of his art. In 1901, 71 of van Gogh’s paintings were displayed in Paris, and his reputation as an artistic genius began to grow. His mother lived long enough to see her son’s rise to fame.

Today, Vincent van Gogh is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in history, known for his bold color choices, expressive brushwork, and emotional depth. His works have inspired generations of artists and continue to captivate audiences worldwide.

The Van Gogh Museum

In 1973, the Van Gogh Museum opened in Amsterdam to house the artist’s vast body of work, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and 750 written documents, such as letters to his brother Theo. The museum’s collection features iconic pieces like Self-Portraits, The Potato Eaters, The Bedroom, and Sunflowers.

In September 2013, the museum made a significant discovery, unveiling Sunset at Montmajour, a previously unknown landscape painting by van Gogh. Thought to have been created in 1888, this work was stored in the attic of a Norwegian industrialist who had doubted its authenticity. The discovery further solidified van Gogh’s status as one of the most important and revered artists of all time.