Eight Stories from Van Gogh's Turbulent Life and Art
In just ten years, Vincent van Gogh, the renowned Dutch post-impressionist artist, left an indelible mark on art history. Born into a devout family, his father, Theodorus van Gogh, served as a Dutch Reformed minister. Initially, he sought a path in theology and worked as a lay preacher in Borinage, Belgium, starting in 1878, where he sketched and provided meals to miners. At the age of 27, with encouragement from his brother Theo, he began to draw and produced The Potato Eaters (1885). Theo, who was an art dealer, offered Vincent financial support. In 1886, he relocated to Paris, where he was inspired by Japanese woodblock prints and formed a friendship with Paul Gauguin. Following a challenging time in Arles in 1888, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where he created The Starry Night. He tragically took his own life in July 1890.
Key facts
- Vincent van Gogh's career as an artist lasted only ten years.
- His father, Theodorus van Gogh, was a Dutch Reformed minister.
- In 1878, Van Gogh worked as a lay preacher in Borinage, Belgium.
- He began drawing at age 27, encouraged by his brother Theo.
- His first major work, The Potato Eaters, was painted in 1885.
- Theo van Gogh supported Vincent financially in exchange for paintings.
- Van Gogh moved to Paris in 1886 and discovered Japanese prints.
- He cut off part of his ear after a quarrel with Paul Gauguin in Arles in 1888.
- He voluntarily entered the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole psychiatric hospital in Saint-Rémy.
- He painted The Starry Night while in the psychiatric hospital.
- He died by suicide in July 1890 in Auvers-sur-Oise.
- His Sunflowers series was painted as decorations for the Yellow House.
- His last works include Wheatfield under Thunderclouds and Daubigny's Garden.
Entities
Artists
- Vincent van Gogh
- Theodorus van Gogh
- Theo van Gogh
- Anton Mauve
- Rembrandt
- Jean-François Millet
- Paul Gauguin
- Emile Bernard
- Georges Seurat
- Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
- Johanna van Gogh-Bonger
- Paul Gachet
Institutions
- University of Amsterdam
- Goupil & Cie
- Van Gogh Museum
- The Courtauld Gallery
- Neue Pinakothek
Locations
- Netherlands
- Borinage
- Belgium
- Paris
- France
- Arles
- Saint-Rémy
- Auvers-sur-Oise
- Amsterdam
- London
- München