More Info About Vincent Van Gogh

Starting off in 1853, Vincent Willem van Gogh led a life of irony, depression and failure- having sold only one painting while still alive. Nobody; not even himself; predicted he would later become one of the worlds most acclaimed artists.
 Born onto a family of seven in Holland; Van Gogh started working under an art dealership, later changed his career to help the poor and eventually joined the miners of Borinage and formed a deep connection with them and an understanding of their difficult lives. Van Gogh felt an urge to convey an important social message, and with the encouragement of his brother Theo; he turned to the paintbrush.
    Despite lack of experience in art and severe insecurities; Van Gogh started studying in Brussels and also taught himself at home. His first painting, 1885’s ‘The Potato Eaters’ depicted peasant life in dark earthy tones and was an initial failure. Van Gogh moved onto an academy in Antwerp where he encountered the art of Japanese woodprints and Peter Paul Rueben and eventually developed the unique, colourful impressionists style that he is now famous for.
Towards the end of 1888 Van Gogh’s mental health deteriorated; attempting to cut off his friend’s ear he instead cut off part of his own. He was hospitalized twice that year. In the asylum his talent seemed to blossom as he created some of his most famous works including ‘Starry Night’ despite his daily psychotic attacks. After leaving the asylum in 1890 Van Gogh continued to paint regularly creating almost one masterpiece a day.
On 27th June 1890, aged 37, Van Gogh shot himself in the chest, believing that his life and his art was a failure. He never thought that his art would change people’s perspective on beauty, style and individualism even 115 years after his death and that his ‘failures’ would later become beloved masterpieces. His final words were ‘the sadness will last forever’.