The master behind “Starry
Night”, “The Church at
Auvers”,
“Sunflowers”,
“Irises”, “Café Terrace”, and
more, is revealed in all his
wonderful madness.
Vincent Willem van Gogh was
a true master of manipulating
paint to create his unique
artworks.
He was born in Zundert,
Netherlands, on the 30th of
March, 1853. In a letter to his
brother, Theo, he described his
youth as "Gloomy and cold and
sterile."
In
adulthood
he
suffered from anxiety and
mental illnesses, but used art
as a therapy to express his
emotions.
A bullet wound ended Vincent van Gogh’s
life at the young age of 37 which was
arguably self-inflicted; however, no gun
was ever found. Ironically, van Gogh’s
paintings were not terribly popular until
after his death, and while he was still alive
he struggled to sell them. Although his life
was cut short, Vincent van Gogh did not
fail in immortalising himself and his
paintings in the world. He is now one of the
most famous artists of all time, and will be
celebrated for his works forevermore.
Perhaps madness is the pathway for art,
after all.
“I put my heart and
soul into my work,
and I have lost my
mind in the process.”
Throughout his lifetime, van
Gogh created a total of 2,100
artworks, which accounted for
oil paintings, watercolours,
sketches,
prints,
and
drawings.
Not only was van Gogh
infamous for his stunning
artwork, but also for cutting off
a portion of his own ear. When
his friend, Gauguin, told him
that he was leaving, van Gogh
was devastated, and in his
distress he cut off a portion of
This page must stay
his
ear,
wrapped
it
in
newspaper, and gave it to a girl
named Rachel to look after.
Starry Night
Wheatfield with Cypresses