The Life of Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh was born in 1853. He lived to be 37 years old when he tragically killed himself in 1890. He was born in the Brabant village of Zundert. Once in secondary school Vincent quit going to school, and never went back. Vincent had multiple different jobs while growing up, but it was not till his brother, Theo, recommended that he stick to drawing that he considered being an artist. This is when "He moved to Brussels in October 1880, and began to work on his drawing technique("Meet Vincent"). In order to allow Vincent to continue drawing and trying to become an artist, his brother Theo supported him financially. Vincent's parents were disappointed in him for choosing to become an artist, but they did not know what his work would soon become.

Vincent Van Gogh had multiple influences in his life. He was first taught by Anton Mauve who taught him in watercolors and oils which influenced his medium throughout his life. He was influenced greatly through his life because he expressed his own emotions through his work. "Van Gogh's mental instability is what provided the source for his emotional renderings of his surroundings and what made him create each image with a deeper psychological reflection"(Charles p. 7). He was also influenced by artists such as Gauguin, Pissarro, Monet, and Bernard. These influences ultimately affected his technique and mindset. He was famous for his bold, dramatic brush strokes. This is what brought out the emotion in his work. His technique grew out of the idea that to be a great painter you had to master drawing first. This is why he believed he had to master black and white drawings/paintings before he could create ones with color("Vincent Van Gogh"). After he mastered black and white though, he was known for using a very bold palette. His technique is what created his style. His style of work falls under Post-Impressionism because it is where artists explored new avenues such as color theory and personal feeling. They often used colors and forms in intense and expressive ways. Van Gogh's Starry Night has now become the face of Post-Impressionism.

Vincent Van Gogh created around 2,100 paintings/drawings. Vincent Van Gogh's first masterpiece was The Potato Eaters which he created in 1885. However it did not become popular until after his death. His most famous work was Starry Night which he created in 1889. With this work he expressed all the emotion in life which is shown in the swirls. It was the emotion he expressed in this piece that made it the face of Post-Impressionism. Another one of his famous works was his Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear which he created in 1889. This was after he cut off his own ear, and offered it as a gift to someone. He created this painting to reflect on his mental illness. Mental illness was a huge impact on a lot of his works because it represented who he was. Cafe Terrace at Night was another one of his more famous works. He created it in 1888, and the cafe still exists today. Fans of his visit the cafe because of this painting. An interesting fact about Vincent is that he created some of his most famous works in a mental hospital("Meet Vincent"). Vincent Van Gogh was also known for creating self portraits because he was too poor to pay for models to draw("Meet Vincent"). These are the most famous of Vincent Van Gogh's work, but all his other pieces of art are just as unique and beautiful.

Although he sold only one painting during his lifetime, Van Gogh is now one of the most popular artists of all time. His works were not that successful while he was alive, but they become very famous after he passed. He is now the face of Post-Impressionism. Artist continue to mimic his work years and years later. Vincent van Gogh lived a long time ago, and yet his artwork is still altering the way mankind views the beauty and individuality in art. Van Gogh's unique life has inspired millions to become active in art, and he has had a major impact on the general public's perception of what an artist is("Vincent Van Gogh"). He has influenced other artists because he used a type of stroke that was not usual. He opened the idea that you can express yourself with the use of different type of strokes.

No matter what art class you are in, you always hear Vincent Van Gogh's name. He had a major influence on the art world which is why people should learn more about him and his works. Vincent Van Gogh had a very unique and short life. He struggled with mental illness but that is what made his work so great. He showed true emotion through his work and impacted many people and artists. Although he did not get to see his impact of his own work, his family got to spread his work around. Without his brother, Theo, help and influence, Vincent would have never entered into the art world. Vincent Van Gogh's work will continue to have an impact on art and artist for years.

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