Van Gogh's Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. 1889
Today’s Artist: Vincent Van Gogh
(March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890)
Van Gogh is generally considered the greatest Dutch painter after Rembrandt, though he had little success during his lifetime. Van Gogh produced all of his work (some 900 paintings and 1100 drawings) during a period of only 10 years before he succumbed to mental illness (possibly bipolar disorder) and committed suicide.
At age 16 Vincent started to work for the art dealer Goupil & Co. in The Hague. His four years younger brother Theo, with whom Vincent cherished a lifelong friendship, would join the company later.
In 1880, Vincent van Gogh followed the suggestion of his brother Theo and took up painting in earnest. For a brief period Vincent took painting lessons from Anton Mauve at The Hague. Although Vincent and Anton soon split over divergence of artistic views, influences of the Hague School of painting would remain in Vincent’s work, notably in the way he played with light and in the looseness of his brush strokes. However his usage of colors, favoring dark tones, set him apart from his teacher.
La chambre de Van Gogh à Arles (Van Gogh's Room at Arles). 1889
In spring 1886 Vincent van Gogh went to Paris, where he moved in with his brother Theo; they shared a house on Montmartre. Here he met the painters met Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Bernard, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gauguin. He discovered impressionism and liked its use of light and color, more than its lack of social engagement (as he saw it). It should be noted that Van Gogh is regarded as a post-impressionist, rather than an impressionist.
In 1888, when city life and living with his brothers proved too much, Van Gogh left Paris and went to Arles, Bouches-du-Rh, France. He was impressed with the local landscape and hoped to found an art colony. Only Paul Gauguin, whose simplified color schemes and forms (known as synthetism) attracted van Gogh, followed his invitation. However their encounter ended in a quarrel. Van Gogh suffered a mental breakdown and cut off part of his left ear, which he gave to a startled prostitute friend. Gauguin left in December 1888.
Van Gogh's Vase with 12 Sunflowers. 1889
He suffered from depression, and in 1889 on his own request Van Gogh was admitted to the psychiatric center at Monastery Saint-Paul de Mausole in Saint Remy de Provence, Bouches-du-Rh, France.
In May 1890 Vincent van Gogh left the clinic and went to the physician Paul Gachet, in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris, where he was closer to his brother Theo, who had recently married.
On July 27 of the same year, at the age of 37, after a fit of painting activity, van Gogh shot himself in the chest. He died two days later, with Theo at his side, who reported his last words as “La tristesse durera toujours” (French: “The sadness will last forever”).
Biography via: http://www.vincentvangoghart.net/
Here is arguably Van Gogh’s most famous work, Starry Night:
Van Gogh's Starry Night. 1889
This work has inspired many different works and products with the famous image and Van Gogh style, including:
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Star Wars-y Night
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Starry Bat Night
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Starry Night Inspired Cake
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Starry Night from an episode of Dr Who
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Starry Night Egg Drawing
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Starry Night Fairy Dress
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Starry Night Guitar
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Starry Night Horse
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Starry Night Moose
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Starry Night Pillow – It Lights Up!
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Starry Night Dress
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Starry Night made out of Bacon
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Starry Night Barbie
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Starry Night Batman Tattoo
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Starry Night Mosaic
