Written by: Jacqueline Yu Commonly known as the man who cut off his ear and fodder for “artsy” individuals, Vincent Van Gogh’s memory never fails to persevere in these changing times. He is considered one of the most well-known post impressionists, and his mastery of color and unique mark is replicated and admired by thousands of artists around the world. His life was fraught with tragedy and depression which contributed to his vibrant works and desire to create happiness through beauty.
Van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 to a pastor in Groot-Zundert, Holland. He was an emotional, self-conscious child who was clueless about his future. From 1860 and 1880, Van Gogh struggled constantly with his career aspirations, fluctuating between a clerk in a bookstore, an art salesman, and a preacher. Finally, Van Gogh decided to study art in Belgium. His early works, often referred to as his Dutch period, are characterized by sharp lighting and a dark and solemn atmosphere (i.e. “The Potato Eaters”). Van Gogh, despite being quite affluent while growing up, loved the idea of portraying peasants and their hard lives. In 1885, Van Gogh travelled to Antwerp where he was inspired by Rubens and the widely distributed Japanese prints of the time period. Van Gogh was fascinated by these Japanese prints and was a constituent of the japonisme movement of the time period. He made many works emulating the ukiyo-e style. A year later, he moved to Paris to live near his brother Théo, the manager of an art gallery. There, Van Gogh met many influential artists like Monet and Gauguin. He saw the styles of these Impressionists and worked to emulate them, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Thus, he developed his own style with vibrant colors, chunky brush strokes, and a powerful sense of movement. In 1888, Van Gogh moved to the south of France to try to to start an art school with his friends. He rented out four rooms on the right side of a house that he affectionately named the Yellow House. Gauguin did join him, but Van Gogh’s chaotic behavior and anxiety made him difficult to be around and his habit of working all day and talking all night caused serious problems for his health. Gauguin ultimately decided to leave Arles. In a last ditch effort to make his only companion stay, Van Gogh pursued Gauguin with razor. Gauguin stopped Van Gogh but not before the man cut a part of his own ear off. Van Gogh slipped into madness and was sent to an asylum in Saint-Remy to recover. After two years at the asylum, Van Gogh was steadily improving. He was sent out to live in Auvers-sur-Oise with Dr. Gachet. Sadly, two months later, Van Gogh died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. During his lifetime, Van Gogh was very unsuccessful, selling only one painting. He was poor, hungry, and stressed, and he survived off of a small stipend that his brother sent to him. However, for all the time that he was an artist, Van Gogh never stopped painting. He continued innovating his style and depicting the beautiful world around him. Today, most everyone knows Van Gogh and, more specifically, “Starry Night.” In a time where impressionism dominated artistic spheres, Van Gogh dared to be different, and, in doing so, he revolutionized the art world. Citations: https://www.vangoghgallery.com/misc/biography.html
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ContributorsJACQUELINE YU is the co-founder of the MLWGS art history online magazine. She is an incredible artist and devotes much of her time to both participating in, experiencing, and appreciating art. Archives
April 2019
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