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Birth
Vincent van Gogh was born Vincent Willem van Gogh on March 30, 1853, in Groot-Zundert, Netherlands. -
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Vincent van Gogh
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Early life and education
At age 15, van Gogh's family was struggling financially, and he was forced to leave school and go to work. He got a job at his Uncle Cornelis' art dealership, Goupil & Cie., a firm of art dealers in The Hague. By this time, van Gogh was fluent in French, German and English, as well as his native Dutch. -
Devotion to God
In June of 1873, van Gogh was transferred to the Groupil Gallery in London. There, he fell in love with English culture. He also fell in love with his landlady's daughter, Eugenie Loyer. When she rejected his marriage proposal, van Gogh suffered a breakdown. He threw away all his books except for the Bible, and devoted his life to God. He became angry with people at work, telling customers not to buy the "worthless art," and was eventually fired. -
Van Gogh the Artist
In the fall of 1880, van Gogh decided to move to Brussels and become an artist. Though he had no formal art training, his brother Theo offered to support van Gogh financially. He began taking lessons on his own, studying books like Travaux des champs by Jean-François Millet and Cours de dessin by Charles Bargue. -
Potato eaters
Van Gogh's art helped him stay emotionally balanced. In 1885, he began work on what is considered to be his first masterpiece, "Potato Eaters." His brother, Theo, by this time living in Paris, believed the painting would not be well-received in the French capital, where impressionism had become the trend. Nevertheless, van Gogh decided to move to Paris, and showed up at Theo's house uninvited. In March 1886, Theo welcomed his brother into his small apartment. -
Les souliers
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
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 -
Why Did Van Gogh Cut Off His Ear?
In December 1888, van Gogh was living on coffee, bread and absinthe in Arles, France, and he found himself feeling sick and strange. Before long, it became apparent that in addition to suffering from physical illness, his psychological health was declining.A portion of his ear lobe was cut off after an incident with Gauguin. -
Van Gogh in Arles
Van Gogh became influenced by Japanese art and began studying eastern philosophy to enhance his art and life. He dreamed of traveling there, but was told by Toulouse-Lautrec that the light in the village of Arles was just like the light in Japan. In February 1888, van Gogh boarded a train to the south of France. He moved into the "yellow house" and spent his money on paint rather than food. -
Van Gogh in the asylum
Van Gogh then began to alternate between
fits of madness and lucidity and was sent to the
asylum in Saint-Remy suffering with depression.
He spent much time in the asylum, though it was
later believed that he suffered from epilepsy.
While there he painted some 150 paintings. His
most famous work The Starry Night was painted
while staying in the asylum. -
His death
On January 31, 1890, Theo and his wife, Johanna, gave birth to a boy and named him after van Gogh. Around this time, Theo sold van Gogh's "The Red Vineyards" painting for 400 francs. Also around this time, Dr. Paul Gachet, who lived in Auvers, about 20 miles north of Paris, agreed to take van Gogh as his patient. Van Gogh moved to Auvers and rented a room. In July of that year, Vincent van Gogh committed suicide.
