Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in the Netherlands. He was one of the greatest Post-Impressionist painters in history, along with greats like Cezanne and Seurat. His paintings are well-known for their bright bursts of color, unique movement, and inspiring emotion. 

His Life

Van Gogh was the eldest child in a large family, and exhibited a pensive, somber nature at a young age. He had two brothers and three sisters. His father was a minister and his mother was an artist. Six children and meager incomes led the family into financial difficulty, which forced van Gogh to leave school at the age of 15.

After working in his uncle's art gallery, van Gogh relocated to the Groupil Gallery in London. He loved the city's art and literature and spent much of his time frequenting art galleries and immersing himself in Dicken's novels. 

Van Gogh was eventually fired from the gallery after a mental breakdown and began to study religion. He taught at a Methodist boys' school and planned to devote his life to the church. His grim mood swings and sullen attitude eventually closed the door on that career as well. 

After roaming the countryside and painting landscapes, van Gogh moved to Brussels to seriously pursue an artistic career. He studied briefly at the Brussels Academy, then moved to an isolated area in the northern Netherlands to experiment with his paintings. With his brother's financial support, van Gogh moved to Paris to study with incredible artists like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, and Camille Pissaro. Although art improved his melancholy moods, he often engaged in heated debates with other artists which led to his alienation from much of the artistic community.

He moved to Arles, where both his physical and mental health suffered a serious decline. In 1888, van Gogh cut off the lower part of his ear (although some reports argue that Gauguin did the cutting), which began a pattern of hospital visits. Soon after, the people of Arles declared that van Gogh was a danger to himself and others, and he moved into an asylum. He resided there for about a year before moving to Auvers, where he committed suicide. 

His Work

Van Gogh's artistic career was short-lived, lasting primarily from 1880 to 1890. In 1881, he lived in The Hague and worked with other artists to improve his technique. Between 1883 and 1885, he moved around the countryside, creating still life and landscape paintings that depicted the struggles of the peasants in the area. The Old Tower in the Fields and The Potato Eaters are beloved pieces from those years. 

Working with the Impressionist painters in Paris taught van Gogh techniques that led to his unique brushwork and the use of color to create mood. The changes in his techniques are apparent when comparing his 1886 Self-Portrait with Pipe to the 1887 Self-Portrait. One can also see the obvious differences between his early realistic work and his later, brighter pieces. 

During his time in the asylum, van Gogh created some of his most recognizable pieces, including Starry Night and Cypresses. His later paintings had begun to take on a living, moving, breathing feeling. The stunning piece Wheatfields (1890) boasted vivid colors and incredibly fluid brushwork. It was his last painting. 

Vincent Willem van Gogh's artistic career did not span decades like many other artists, but it left quite an impression on the artistic community. The evolution of his technique is apparent in the differences between his early and late work, and many of his pieces have become instantly recognizable. Van Gogh produced incredible art work despite many personal struggles.