Vincent van Gogh Life and Artwork

Vincent van Gogh was born March 30, 1853 and died on July 29, 1890 by suicide; he was 37 years old. With such paintings as The Starry Night, Irises and Sunflowers, his collection of work is one of the most recognized and popular of all time, though he only sold one painting while living, Red Vineyard at Arles. Vincent van Gogh artwork is not only some of the most recognized but also includes some of the world’s most expensive art. However, it was not until later as an adult that he truly began to create. In the final ten years of his life, he created more than 2,000 works of art including over 900 paintings with some of his most well known works in his final two years. Often characterized as a somewhat religious zealot, he was in and out of Christian ministry the early years of his life. Van Gogh art prints are stunning representations of one of the world’s true art masters.

Van Gogh was born in the town of Zundert, Netherlands into a family whose occupations centered primarily around either religion or art. His father, Theodorus van Gogh, was a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church while two of his uncles, one also named Vincent van Gogh, were art dealers. Vincent was a popular name in the Van Gogh family. His grandfather, who received his degree in Theology from the University of Leiden, reinforcing the artist’s religious upbringing, also carried the name Vincent and was most likely named after his own uncle Vincent, who was a successful sculptor. Art and religion were two of the most influencing factors and occupations on Vincent van Gogh’s life.

At the age of fifteen, van Gogh began a career as an art dealer, which he acquired through his uncle. He was successful and enjoyed his new job until his father and uncle sent him to Paris, soon after being rejected by his proprietor’s daughter when he confessed his love to her. After the rejection, he became increasingly more isolated and religiously devoted. While in Paris, he was appalled at how art had become a commodity and would impetuously inform his clients of his disgust. Determined that he could not stay in such a position, he was fired. After his termination as an art dealer, he travelled to England where he began his first work in the ministry as an unpaid supply teacher in a small boarding school but soon became an assistant to a nearby Methodist minister. He returned home later that year and was then sent by his family to Amsterdam where he would prepare for the university where he would study theology and become a pastor. However, Vincent did not succeed in his studies and was soon searching for other works within the ministry.

Van Gogh’s uncle commissioned him to paint 20 paintings of his resident city, The Hague in the Netherlands, which were finished in May 1882. This appears to be not only his first major accomplishment as an artist, but also a turning point in occupational choices, though what is considered one of his first major paintings, The Potato Eaters was created in 1885. His early works focused on the life of the poor, were generally dark colored, and heavily painted. In 1886, he moved to Paris to stay with his younger brother Theo who was not only a close companion throughout his life, but continued to provide financial support to the struggling artist. Though van Gogh was never formally trained as an artist, he did learn much of his techniques from his cousin, Mauve. In addition, once moving to Paris, Vincent’s brother introduced him to such artists as Seurat, Gauguin and Pissarro. It was while in Paris that van Gogh discovered the use of color and his distinct use of brushstrokes, which would later define the epitome of the paintings of van Gogh.

In Paris, van Gogh’s art style changed dramatically, influenced by Post-Impressionism it is here that he began his most influential work in what would later become known as Expressionism. Where Impressionism focused on depicting reality in its objective reality, holding true to portraying through art, how things look in actual life, Expressionism is quite the opposite. Using exaggerated brushstrokes and color, the painting distorts reality. Such paintings as The Starry Night and his famous Self-portrait are prime examples of this movement. The swirling brushstrokes, the non-representative color and mood all help define the movement of Expressionism.

The life of Vincent van Gogh is one marked with turbulence, disappointment and disturbance, which in part lead van Gogh to become a voluntary patient St. Remy asylum, a mental hospital. Van Gogh’s art continued while admitted and it was here that he created some his most famous work, including van Gogh’s The Starry Night. The painting depicts a scene from the asylum looking north towards the village of Saint-Rémy. The quintessential swirls are said to mirror his erratic behavior. Inspiration for this painting, as well as others came from his supervised walks around the asylum’s ground and through the views of his cell windows. Though he was only there for a year, while admitted he completed 150 paintings. Upon leaving the asylum in 1890, he moved Auvers-sur-Oise to be closer to his brother, Theo who had recently married. During the final seventy days of his life, he painted seventy separate canvases. However, his anguish and depression became too overwhelming and on July 29, 1890, he committed suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Vincent van Gogh art prints show an artist’s life that has experienced several different emotional states. Although many of his paintings often induce scenes of serenity with the use of bright colors and pastoral-like imagery, the actual life of van Gogh was anything but. Van Gogh framed art prints add elegance to one of the most influential masters of all time. His distinct painting style is easily recognizable and lends to an artistic perspective unmatched by any artists before or since.