Van Gogh was an artist troubled by mental illness who dedicated himself to his art. Upon deciding to become a painter, van Gogh was committed to developing a unique style and his dramatic brush work and vivid expressions went on to shape Expressionism, Fauvism and early abstraction as well as various other aspects of 20th-century art.



Formative Years:

Vincent van Gogh was born in Holland in 1853. A quiet child he showed no great interest in art but when he was 16 years old, he began working at the Hague gallery. After several transfers that took him to London and Paris, he lost interest in becoming a professional art dealer and found a job as a missionary instead. He worked in a small Belgium Province and began helping a group of miners with whom he empathized greatly. Van Gogh donated many of his clothes and possessions to the miners which was frowned upon by the Dutch Reformed Church. Consequently, van Gogh left the Church and set out to become an artist.



Middle Years:

Fulfilling his desire to paint figures, in 1885 van Gogh completed his first major work, The Potato Eaters which proved a success.



In 1886 van Gogh relocated to Paris and was greatly influenced by Impressionism and Post-impressionism, and gained exposure to artists such as Gauguin, Pissarro, Monet, and Bernard. As a result, he adopted brighter, more vibrant colors in his art and began experimenting with his technique. Two years later, in 1888, van Gogh moved to Arles where he was later joined by his new friend Gauguin. It was at this time that he created Sunflowers, one of his signature pieces.



Advanced Years:

At the end of 1888 van Gogh's mental illness worsened and in one outburst he pursued Gauguin with a knife, threatening him. Later that day, van Gogh cut off part of his own ear then offered it to a prostitute as a gift. He was temporarily hospitalized and Gauguin left the home they shared, ending van Goghs dream of setting up an art school.



Van Gogh committed himself to an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence later that year and there he painted Starry Night, one of historys most influential artworks. He left the asylum in 1890 and in July of that year attempted suicide by shooting himself in the chest. He died two days later from the wound aged 37.



Van Goghs closest brother, Theo died just six months later and his widow published van Goghs work, gaining his the recognition he longed for.