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.