Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter considered one of the most influential painters ever.
Van Gogh’s life and artistic career were marked by intense passion, emotional struggles, and a unique creative vision.
After various unsuccessful ventures, Van Gogh began his artistic journey in his late twenties.
His life
Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853, in Groot-Zundert, a village in the southern Netherlands.
He was the eldest surviving son of a Protestant minister, Theodorus van Gogh, and his wife, Anna Cornelia Carbentus. Van Gogh had three younger sisters and two younger brothers.
Van Gogh initially worked in an art dealership, where he gained exposure to various artworks and artists of the time.
Regular exposure to works of art awakened his artistic sensibilities, and he soon developed a love for Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and other Dutch masters, but his predilections were for two contemporary French painters, Jean-François Millet and Camille Corot, whose influence continued throughout his life.
However, he struggled to find his true calling and switched between different occupations, including teaching and preaching. In 1880, at the age of 27, he decided to pursue a career as an artist.
Furthermore, his vision of life deteriorated when he was rejected by a London girl in 1874. His desire for human affection was ruined, and he became more and more lonely.
His beginning as an artist
His choice to continue working in art wasn’t tolerated by his parents, and Van Gogh’s artistic journey took him to various locations in Europe.
He began by studying art in Brussels and later moved to the Hague, where he was influenced by the dark and somber palette of the Dutch masters.
During this time, he also became interested in Japanese prints, which would later impact his artistic style.
In 1886, van Gogh moved to Paris and became exposed to the vibrant art scene of the city. He interacted with influential artists like Paul Gauguin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Camille Pissarro.
Van Gogh’s style underwent a significant transformation during this period, and he started experimenting with brighter colors, bold brushstrokes, and a more expressive technique.
Mental Health Struggles
Van Gogh had mental problems from an early age. His father wrote: “He always tends to melancholy.”
In his twenties when he was living in London, he was withdrawn from others and also was focusing on religious issues, and maybe because of these, he lost his job as an art dealer.
After van Gogh had his ear cut off in December 1888, doctors diagnosed him with “acute mania with generalized delirium” and “mental epilepsy.” Reports say he believed was also suffering from the disease.
Van Gogh’s time in Arles was marked by turbulent relationships, particularly with the artist Paul Gauguin.
Their artistic collaboration ended abruptly after a heated argument, during which van Gogh famously cut off a portion of his ear. He was subsequently hospitalized and experienced further periods of mental instability.
In addition, many experts said that the artist had bipolar disorder because Vincent experienced periods of high energy and productivity, which were followed by episodes of depression and extreme fatigue.
Although Van Gogh’s history of mental illness has long been commonly associated with schizophrenia, researchers and experts have largely negotiated the possibility of a diagnosis.
It’s not in black that I see the future, but I see it bristling with many difficulties, and at times I wonder if these won’t be stronger than I am -Vincent-