The Life of Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent van
Gogh (1853–1890) believed that drawing was “the
root of everything.” He was largely self-taught as an
artist. He succeeded in developing an inimitable graphic style.
Van
Gogh was 37 and on the edge of fame when, in 1890, he shot
and killed himself.
Van Gogh moved to Paris
in 1886. Unable to sell his brilliant canvases, he was utterly
dependent upon his younger brother, Theo. In Paris, Van Gogh'ss
first works were heavily painted, mud-colored and clumsy
attempts to represent the life of the poor, influenced by one of
his artistic heroes, Millet. Hoping to establish an artist's
colony, Vincent Van
Gogh moved to Arles, in the south of France in 1888. He was
immediately struck by the hot reds and yellows of the
Mediterranean, which he increasingly used symbolically to
represent his own moods. He was joined briefly by Gauguin in
October 1888, but the visit was not a success and, in an
emotional argument led to an incident in which Van Gogh
mutilated his own ear.
In 1889, he became a voluntary patient at the St. Remy asylum,
where he continued to paint, often making copies of artists he
admired. His palette softened to mauves and pinks, but his
brushwork was increasingly agitated, the dashes constructed into
swirling, twisted shapes, often seen as symbolic of his mental
state. He moved to Auvers, to be closer to Theo in 1890 - his
last 70 days spent in a hectic program of painting. He died,
having sold only one work, following a botched suicide attempt.
His life is detailed in a series of letters to his brother
(published 1959).
Today, the name Vincent Van Gogh is a household name and his
artwork collection can be found in many museums and art
gallerys. If you are interested in owning his fine artwork,
visit VanGoghDrawings.com.