Vincent van Gogh
Self-portrait (1887)
Birth name	Vincent Willem van Gogh
Born	30 March 1853(1853-03-30) Zundert, The Netherlands
Died	29 July 1890 (aged 37) Auvers-sur-Oise, France
Nationality	Dutch
Field	Painter
Movement	Post-Impressionism
Works	The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, The Starry Night, Irises, Portrait of Dr. Gachet

Vincent Willem van Gogh (30 March 1853 – 29 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist artist. Vincent van Gogh created many Self-portraits during his lifetime Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Zundert ( is a Municipality and a town in Noord Brabant, the Netherlands. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Auvers-sur-Oise is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Dutch people ( Dutch:) are the dominant Ethnic group of the Netherlands. Painting (pān'tīng in Art, is the practice of applying Color to a Surface (support base such as e Post-Impressionism is the term coined by the British artist and Art critic Roger Fry in 1910 to describe the development of French art since Manet. The Potato Eaters (De Aardappeleters is a painting by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh that he painted in April 1885 while in Nuenen, Sunflowers (original title in French Tournesols) are the subject of a series of Still life paintings executed in Oil on canvas by the The Starry Night ( Dutch: De sterrennacht) is a Painting by Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. Ownership history Its first owner was the French Art critic and anarchist Octave Mirbeau, who was also one of Van Gogh's first supporters he Portrait of Dr Gachet is one of the most revered paintings by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh and fetched a record price of $82 Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Dutch people ( Dutch:) are the dominant Ethnic group of the Netherlands. Post-Impressionism is the term coined by the British artist and Art critic Roger Fry in 1910 to describe the development of French art since Manet. ^[1] His paintings and drawings include some of the world's best known, most popular and most expensive pieces.

Van Gogh spent his early adult life working for a firm of art dealers. After a brief spell as a teacher, he became a missionary worker in a very poor mining region. He did not embark upon a career as an artist until 1880. Initially, van Gogh worked only with sombre colours, until he encountered Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism in Paris. Impressionism was a 19th-century Art movement that began as a loose association of Paris -based Artists exhibiting their art publicly in the 1860s Neo-Impressionism is a term coined by the French art critic Félix Fénéon in 1887 to characterise the late-19th century Art movement led by Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city He incorporated their brighter colours and style of painting into a uniquely recognizable style, which was fully developed during the time he spent at Arles, France. Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. He produced more than 2,000 works, including around 900 paintings and 1,100 drawings and sketches, during the last ten years of his life. Most of his best-known works were produced in the final two years of his life, during which time he cut off part of his left ear following a breakdown in his friendship with Paul Gauguin. Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903 was a leading Post-Impressionist painter. After this he suffered recurrent bouts of mental illness, which led to his suicide. Mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability that is not expected as

The central figure in Van Gogh's life was his brother Theo, who continually and selflessly provided financial support. Theo van Gogh ( May 1 1857 – January 25 1891) was the younger brother of the painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890 and a successful Their lifelong friendship is documented in numerous letters they exchanged from August 1872 onwards. Van Gogh is a pioneer of what came to be known as Expressionism. Expressionism is the tendency of an artist to distort reality for an Emotional effect it is a subjective art form He had an enormous influence on 20th century art, especially on the Fauves and German Expressionists. History of Modern art Roots in the 19th century Although modern Sculpture and Architecture are reckoned to have emerged at the end of the nineteenth Les Fauves ( French for The Wild Beasts) were a short-lived and loose grouping of early German Expressionism is the term used to refer to a number of related creative movements which emerged in Germany before the first world war which reached a peak in Berlin

The Dutch pronunciation of Vincent van Gogh's name is [ˈvɪnsɛnt vɑn ˈɣɔx] (help·info). Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname It is also often pronounced as [ˈvɪnsənt væn ˈɡɒf] or [ˈvɪnsənt vɑn ˈɡɔx] in British English and [ˈvɪnsənt væn ˈɡoʊ] in US English.

Biography

For a timeline, see Vincent van Gogh chronology. This is a Chronology of the artist Vincent van Gogh. It is based as far as possible on Van Gogh's correspondence

Early life (1853 – 1869)

Vincent Willem van Gogh was born in Groot-Zundert, a village close to Breda in the Province of North Brabant in the southern Netherlands. Zundert ( is a Municipality and a town in Noord Brabant, the Netherlands. Breda ( is a Municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. North Brabant ( Dutch: Noord-Brabant,) is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country bordered by Belgium The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands ^[2] Van Gogh was the son of Anna Cornelia Carbentus and Theodorus van Gogh, who was a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church. Dutch Reformed Church (in Dutch: Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk or NHK was one of many branches of churches coming out of the Protestant Reformation in Europe He was given the same name as his grandfather—and a first brother stillborn exactly one year before. It has been suggested^[3] that being given the same name as his dead elder brother might have had a deep psychological impact on the young artist, and that elements of his art, such as the portrayal of pairs of male figures, can be traced back to this. The practice of reusing a name in this way was not uncommon. The name "Vincent" was often used in the Van Gogh family: the baby's grandfather was called Vincent van Gogh (1789-1874); he had received his degree of theology at the University of Leiden in 1811. Leiden University (Universiteit Leiden located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest University in The Netherlands. Grandfather Vincent had six sons, three of whom became art dealers, including another Vincent, referred to in Van Gogh's letters as "Uncle Cent. " Grandfather Vincent had perhaps been named after his own father's uncle, the successful sculptor Vincent van Gogh (1729-1802). ^[4] Art and religion were the two occupations to which the Van Gogh family gravitated.

Four years after Van Gogh was born, his brother Theodorus (Theo) was born on 1 May 1857. Theo van Gogh ( May 1 1857 – January 25 1891) was the younger brother of the painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890 and a successful Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the There was also another brother named Cor and three sisters, Elisabeth, Anna and Wil. As a child, Van Gogh was serious, silent and thoughtful. In 1860 he attended the Zundert village school, where the only teacher was Catholic and there were around 200 pupils. From 1861 he and his sister Anna were taught at home by a governess, until 1 October 1864, when he went away to the elementary boarding school of Jan Provily in Zevenbergen, the Netherlands, about 20 miles (32 km) away. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1864 ( MDCCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year A boarding school is a School where some or all pupils not only study but also live during term time with their fellow students and possibly teachers Zevenbergen is a Dutch city which is a part of the municipality of Moerdijk. He was distressed to leave his family home, and recalled this even in adulthood. On 15 September 1866, he went to the new middle school, Willem II College in Tilburg, the Netherlands. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Koning Willem II College is a school in Tilburg in the Netherlands. Tilburg ( is a Municipality and a City in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant. Constantijn C. Huysmans, who had achieved a certain success himself in Paris, taught Van Gogh to draw at the school and advocated a systematic approach to the subject. In March 1868 Van Gogh abruptly left school and returned home. His comment on his early years was: "My youth was gloomy and cold and sterile. . . . "^[5]

Art dealer and preacher (1869 – 1878)

Vincent van Gogh, c. 1876, photographer unknown

In July 1869, at the age of fifteen, he obtained a position with the art dealer Goupil & Cie in The Hague through his Uncle Vincent ("Cent"), who had built up a good business which became a branch of the firm. Goupil & Cie were amongst the leading Art dealers in 19th century France, with headquarters in Paris. After his training, Goupil transferred him to London in June 1873, where he lodged at 87 Hackford Road, Brixton^[6] and worked at Messrs. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Brixton is an area of the London Borough of Lambeth, in inner - South London. Goupil & Co. , 17 Southampton Street. ^[7] This was a happy time for Van Gogh: he was successful at work, and was already, at the age of 20, earning more than his father. ^[8] He fell in love with his landlady's daughter, Eugénie Loyer,^[9] but when he finally confessed his feeling to her, she rejected him, saying that she was already secretly engaged to a previous lodger. Vincent became increasingly isolated and fervent about religion. His father and uncle sent him to Paris, where he became resentful at how art was treated as a commodity, and he manifested this to the customers. On 1 April 1876, it was agreed that his employment should be terminated. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year

His religious emotion grew to the point where he felt he had found his true vocation in life, and he returned to England to do unpaid work, first as a supply teacher in a small boarding school overlooking the harbour in Ramsgate; he made some sketches of the view. Ramsgate is a seaside town on the Isle of Thanet in east Kent, England. The proprietor of the school relocated to Isleworth, Middlesex. Isleworth (ˈaɪzəlwɜːθ is a suburb located in the London Borough of Hounslow alongside the River Thames in West London. Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. Vincent decided to walk to the new location. This new position did not work out, and Vincent became a nearby Methodist minister's assistant in wanting to "preach the gospel everywhere. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations "

At Christmas that year he returned home, and then worked in a bookshop in Dordrecht for six months, but he was not happy in this new position and spent most of his time in the back of the shop either doodling, or translating passages from the Bible into English, French, and German. Dordrecht (population 119649 in 2004 or in English (and locally colloquially Dordt, is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. ^[10] His roommate from this time, a young teacher called Görlitz, later recalled that Vincent ate frugally, preferring to eat no meat. ^[11][12] In an effort to support his wish to become a pastor, his family sent him to Amsterdam in May 1877 where he lived with his uncle Jan van Gogh, a rear admiral in the navy. Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west ^[13] Vincent prepared for university, studying for the theology entrance exam with his uncle Johannes Stricker, a respected theologian who published the first "Life of Jesus" available in the Netherlands. Johannes Paulus Stricker ( 18 October 1816, The Hague - 27 August 1886, Nieuwer-Amstel) was a theologian and biblical scholar Vincent failed at his studies and had to abandon them. He left uncle Jan's house in July 1878. He then studied, but failed, a three-month course at the Protestant missionary school (Vlaamsche Opleidingsschool) in Laeken, near Brussels. Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is

Borinage and Brussels (1879 – 1880)

The house where Van Gogh stayed in Cuesmes in 1880; it was while living here that he decided to become an artist.

In January 1879 Van Gogh got a temporary post as a missionary in the village of Petit Wasmes^[14] in the coal-mining district of Borinage in Belgium, bringing his father's profession to people felt to be the most wretched and hopeless in Europe. Petit Wasmes is a village near Wasmes in the commune of Colfontaine in Belgium The Borinage is an area in the Belgian province of Hainaut. The provincial capital Mons is located in the east of the Borinage The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Taking Christianity to what he saw as its logical conclusion, Vincent opted to live like those he preached to, sharing their hardships to the extent of sleeping on straw in a small hut at the back of the baker's house where he was billeted;^[15] the baker's wife used to hear Vincent sobbing all night in the little hut. ^[16] His choice of squalid living conditions did not endear him to the appalled church authorities, who dismissed him for "undermining the dignity of the priesthood. " After this he walked to Brussels,^[17] returned briefly to the Borinage, to the village of Cuesmes, but acquiesced to pressure from his parents to come "home" to Etten. Cuesmes is a village near the Belgian town Mons in the province of hainaut. Etten-Leur ( is a Municipality in the southern Netherlands. Its name is a combination of the two towns from which the municipality originally arose Etten and He stayed there until around March the following year,^[18] to the increasing concern and frustration of his parents. There was considerable conflict between Vincent and his father, and his father made enquiries about having his son committed to a lunatic asylum^[19] at Geel. Geel (in English also Gheel) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. ^[20] Vincent fled back to Cuesmes where he lodged with a miner named Charles Decrucq,^[21] with whom he stayed until October. He became increasingly interested in the everyday people and scenes around him, which he recorded in drawings.

In 1880, Vincent followed the suggestion of his brother Theo and took up art in earnest. In autumn 1880, he went to Brussels, intending to follow Theo's recommendation to study with the prominent Dutch artist Willem Roelofs, who persuaded Van Gogh (despite his aversion to formal schools of art) to attend the Royal Academy of Art. Willem Roelofs ( March 10[[ 822]] Amsterdam - May 12[[ 897]] Berchem) was a Dutch painter water-colourist etcher lithographer and draughtsman There he not only studied anatomy, but the standard rules of modelling and perspective, all of which, he said, "you have to know just to be able to draw the least thing. " Vincent wished to become an artist while in God's service as he stated, "to try to understand the real significance of what the great artists, the serious masters, tell us in their masterpieces, that leads to God; one man wrote or told it in a book; another in a picture. "^[22]

Etten (1881)

Still-Life, arranged by Anton Mauve and executed by Van Gogh, December 1881

In April 1881, Van Gogh went to live in the countryside with his parents in Etten and continued drawing, using neighbours as subjects. Anton Rudolf Mauve ( September 18, 1838 – February 5, 1888) was a Dutch realist painter who who was a leading member of the Through the summer he spent much time walking and talking with his recently widowed cousin, Kee Vos-Stricker, the daughter of his mother's older sister and Johannes Stricker, who had shown real warmth towards his nephew. ^[23] Kee was seven years older than Vincent, and had an eight-year-old son. Vincent proposed marriage, but she flatly refused with the words: "No, never, never" (niet, nooit, nimmer). ^[24] At the end of November he wrote a strong letter to Uncle Stricker,^[25] and then, very soon after, hurried to Amsterdam where he talked with Stricker again on several occasions,^[26] but Kee refused to see him at all. Her parents told him "Your persistence is disgusting". ^[27] In desperation he held his left hand in the flame of a lamp, saying, "Let me see her for as long as I can keep my hand in the flame. "^[27] He did not clearly recall what happened next, but assumed that his uncle blew out the flame. Her father, "Uncle Stricker," as Vincent refers to him in letters to Theo, made it clear that there was no question of Vincent and Kee marrying, given Vincent's inability to support himself financially. ^[28] What he saw as the hypocrisy of his uncle and former tutor affected Vincent deeply. At Christmas he quarreled violently with his father, even refusing a gift of money, and immediately left for The Hague. ^[29]

Drenthe and The Hague (1881 – 1883)

In January 1882 he settled in The Hague, where he called on his cousin-in-law, the painter Anton Mauve, who encouraged him towards painting. Anton Rudolf Mauve ( September 18, 1838 – February 5, 1888) was a Dutch realist painter who who was a leading member of the He soon fell out with Mauve, however, perhaps over the issue of drawing from plaster casts; Mauve appeared suddenly to go cold towards Vincent, not returning a couple of his letters. Vincent guessed that Mauve had learned of his new domestic relationship with the alcoholic prostitute, Clasina Maria Hoornik (born February 1850, The Hague;^[30] she was known as Sien) and her young daughter. ^[31] Van Gogh had met Sien towards the end of January. ^[32] Sien had a five year-old daughter, and was pregnant. She had already had two other children who had died, although Vincent was unaware of this. ^[33] On 2 July, Sien gave birth to a baby boy, Willem. ^[34] When Vincent's father discovered the details of this relationship, considerable pressure was put on Vincent^[35] to abandon Sien and her children. Vincent was at first defiant in the face of his family's opposition.

Vincent van Gogh: View from his atelier in The Hague, watercolour

His uncle Cornelis, an art dealer, commissioned 20 ink drawings of the city from him; they were completed by the end of May. ^[36] In June Vincent spent three weeks in a hospital suffering gonorrhoea. Gonorrhea (also gonorrhoea) caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is a common Sexually transmitted disease. ^[37] In the summer, he began to paint in oil. In autumn 1883, after a year with Sien, he abandoned her and the two children. Vincent had thought of moving the family away from the city, but in the end he made the break. ^[38] It is possible that lack of money had pushed Sien back to prostitution; the home had become a less happy one, and Vincent may have felt family life was irreconcilable with his artistic development. When Vincent left, Sien gave her daughter to her mother, and baby Willem to her brother, and moved to Delft and then Antwerp. ^[39] Willem remembered being taken to visit his mother in Rotterdam at around the age of 12, where his uncle tried to persuade Sien to marry in order to legitimize the child. Willem remembered his mother saying: "But I know who the father is. He was an artist I lived with nearly 20 years ago in The Hague. His name was Van Gogh. " She then turned to Willem and said "You are called after him. "^[40] Willem believed himself to be Van Gogh's son, but the timing of the birth makes this unlikely. ^[41] In 1904 Sien drowned herself in the river Scheldt. The Scheldt (Dutch Schelde, French Escaut, Latin Scaldis) is a 350 km[http //www ^[39]

Van Gogh moved to the Dutch province of Drenthe in the north of the Netherlands, and in December, driven by loneliness, to stay with his parents who were by then living in Nuenen, North Brabant, also in the Netherlands. Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country Nuenen is a town in the municipality of Nuenen Gerwen en Nederwetten, in The Netherlands. North Brabant ( Dutch: Noord-Brabant,) is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country bordered by Belgium

Nuenen (1883 – 1885)

The Potato Eaters (1885)

In Nuenen, he devoted himself to drawing—paying boys to bring him birds' nests—^[42] and rapidly^[43] sketching the weavers in their cottages. The Potato Eaters (De Aardappeleters is a painting by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh that he painted in April 1885 while in Nuenen, Nuenen is a town in the municipality of Nuenen Gerwen en Nederwetten, in The Netherlands. In autumn 1884, a neighbour's daughter, Margot Begemann, ten years older than Vincent, accompanied him constantly on his painting forays and fell in love, which he reciprocated (though less enthusiastically). They agreed to marry, but were opposed by both families. Margot tried to kill herself with strychnine and Vincent rushed her to the hospital. Strychnine (ˈstrɪkniːn (British US /-naɪn/ or /-nɪn/ (US ^[44]

On 26 March 1885, Van Gogh's father died of a stroke. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Van Gogh grieved deeply. For the first time there was interest from Paris in some of his work. In spring he painted what is now considered his first major work, The Potato Eaters (Dutch De Aardappeleters). The Potato Eaters (De Aardappeleters is a painting by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh that he painted in April 1885 while in Nuenen, In August his work was exhibited for the first time, in the windows of a paint dealer, Leurs, in The Hague. In September he was accused of making one of his young peasant sitters pregnant,^[45] and the Catholic village priest forbade villagers from modelling for him.

During his time in Nuenen Van Gogh's palette was of sombre earth tones, particularly dark brown, and he showed no sign of developing the vivid colouration that distinguishes his later, best known work. (When Vincent complained that Theo was not making enough effort to sell his paintings in Paris, Theo replied that they were too dark and not in line with the current style of bright Impressionist paintings. ) During his two-year stay in Nuenen, he completed numerous drawings and watercolours, and nearly 200 oil paintings.

Antwerp (1885 – 1886)

Skull with a Burning Cigarette , oil on canvas, 1885.

In November 1885 he moved to Antwerp and rented a little room above a paint dealer's shop in the Rue des Images (Lange Beeldekensstraat). ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the ^[46] He had little money and ate poorly, preferring to spend what money his brother Theo sent to him on painting materials and models. Bread, coffee, and tobacco were his staple intake. In February 1886 he wrote to Theo saying that he could only remember eating six hot meals since May of the previous year. His teeth became loose and caused him much pain. ^[47] While in Antwerp he applied himself to the study of colour theory and spent time looking at work in museums, particularly the work of Peter Paul Rubens, gaining encouragement to broaden his palette to carmine, cobalt and emerald green. Cobalt blue is a cool slightly desaturated blue Color, historically made using Cobalt salts This article is about the chemical called Paris Green or Emerald Green. He also bought some Japanese Ukiyo-e woodcuts in the docklands, which he imitated and incorporated into the background of some of his paintings. "pictures of the floating world" is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints (or Woodcuts) and Paintings produced between the 17th ^[48] It was while he was living in Antwerp that Vincent began to drink absinthe heavily. Absinthe is traditionally a distilled, highly alcoholic (45%-75% ABV) beverage ^[49] He was treated by Dr Cavenaile whose surgery was near the docklands,^[50] possibly for syphilis;^[51] the treatment of alum irrigations and sitz baths was jotted down by Vincent in one of his notebooks. Syphilis is a Sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochetal Bacterium Treponema pallidum pallidum. ^[52]

In January 1886 he matriculated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, studying painting and drawing. The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp ( Dutch: Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten van Antwerpen) is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe Despite disagreements over his rejection of academic teaching, he nevertheless took the higher-level admission exams. For most of February he was ill, run down by overwork and a poor diet (and excessive smoking).

Paris (1886 – 1888)

54, Rue Lepic, Paris

In March 1886 he moved to Paris to study at Fernand Cormon's studio, and in May 1886 his mother and sister Wil moved to Breda. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Fernand Cormon ( December 24 1845 - March 20 1924) was a French painter Breda ( is a Municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. ^[53] The brothers first shared Theo's Rue Laval apartment on Montmartre. Montmartre is a hill (the butte Montmartre) which is 130 metres high giving its name to the surrounding district in the north of Paris in the 18th In June they took a larger flat at 54 Rue Lepic, further uphill. As there was no longer the need to communicate by letters, less is known about Van Gogh's time in Paris than earlier or later periods of his life.

For some months Vincent worked at Cormon's studio where he frequented the circle of the British-Australian artist John Peter Russell, and met fellow students like Émile Bernard and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who used to meet at the paint store run by Julien "Père" Tanguy, which was at that time the only place to view works by Paul Cézanne. John Peter Russell ( 16 June 1858 - 22 April 1930) was an Australian impressionist painter not to be confused with the French painter and architect Émile Bénard, 1844-1929 Émile Bernard ( April 28, 1868 &ndash Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (ɑ̃ʁi dø tuluz loˈtʁɛk (24 November 1864 &ndash 9 September 1901 was a French painter, printmaker, draftsman

Vincent van Gogh, pastel drawing by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1887.

It was not difficult to see and study Impressionist works in Paris at this time. In 1886, for example, two large vanguard exhibitions were staged, the 8th and final exhibition of the Impressionists and an exhibition of the Artistes Indépendants. In these shows Neo-Impressionism made its first appearance; works of Georges Seurat and Paul Signac were the talk of the town. Georges-Pierre Seurat ( December 2, 1859  &ndash March 29, 1891) was a French painter and Draftsman. Paul Signac ( November 11, 1863 – August 15, 1935) was a French neo-impressionist painter who working with Though Theo, too, kept a stock of Impressionist paintings in his gallery on Boulevard Montmarte, by artists including Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, Edgar Degas and Camille Pissarro, Vincent evidently had problems acknowledging these recent ways to see and paint. Impressionism was a 19th-century Art movement that began as a loose association of Paris -based Artists exhibiting their art publicly in the 1860s Claude Monet ( French klod mɔnɛ also known as Oscar-Claude Monet or Claude Oscar Monet (14 November 1840 &ndash 5 December 1926 was a founder Alfred Sisley ( October 30, 1839 &ndash January 29, 1899) was an English Impressionist landscape painter who Camille Pissarro ( July 10 1830 &ndash November 13 1903) was a French Impressionist painter. Conflicts arose, and at the turn of 1886 to 1887 Theo found shared life with Vincent "almost unbearable," but in spring 1887 they made peace. Then Vincent set out for a campaign in Asnières, where he became personally acquainted with Paul Signac. Paul Signac ( November 11, 1863 – August 15, 1935) was a French neo-impressionist painter who working with Vincent and his friend Emile Bernard, who lived with parents in Asnières, adopted elements of the "pointillé" (pointillism) style, where many small dots are applied to the canvas, resulting in an optical blend of hues, when seen from a distance. See also Neo-Impressionism Pointillism is a style of Painting in which small distinct points of Primary colors create the impression of a wide selection The theory behind this also stresses the value of complementary colours^[54] (for example, blue and orange), which form vibrant contrasts and enhance each other, when juxtaposed. Complementary colors are pairs of Colors that are of “opposite” Hue in some Color model. Blue is a Colour, the Perception of which is evoked by The colour orange occurs ^[55]

In November 1887, Theo and Vincent met and befriended Paul Gauguin, who had just arrived in Paris. Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903 was a leading Post-Impressionist painter. ^[56] Towards the end of the year, Vincent arranged an exhibition of paintings by himself, Bernard, Anquetin and (probably) Toulouse-Lautrec in the Restaurant du Chalet, on Montmartre. There, Bernard and Anquetin sold their first painting, and Vincent exchanged work with Gauguin, who soon departed to Pont-Aven. Pont-Aven is a commune in the Finistère department in Bretagne in northwestern France. But the discussions on art, artists and their social situation started during this exhibition continued, and expanded to visitors of the show like Pissarro and his son, Signac and Seurat. Finally in February 1888, when Vincent felt worn out from life in Paris, he left the city, having painted over 200 paintings during his two years there. Only hours before his departure, accompanied by Theo, he paid his first and only visit to Seurat in his atelier. ^[57]

Arles (February 1888 – May 1889)

Still Life: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers, August 1888 (Neue Pinakothek, Munich). Sunflowers (original title in French Tournesols) are the subject of a series of Still life paintings executed in Oil on canvas by the

Van Gogh arrived on 21 February 1888, at the railroad station in Arles, crossed Place Lamartine, entered the city through the Porte de la Cavalerie, and took quarters a few steps further, at the Hôtel-Restaurant Carrel, 30 Rue Cavalerie. Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Arles (aʁl̥ Provençal Occitan: Arles in both classical and Mistralian norms is a City in the south of France, He had ideas of founding a Utopian art colony. Utopia is a name for an ideal community taken from the title of a book written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More describing a fictional Island in the His companion for two months was the Danish artist, Christian Mourier-Petersen. In March, he painted local landscapes, using a gridded "perspective frame. " Three of his pictures were shown at the annual exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants. The Société des Artistes Indépendants ( Society of Independent Artists) formed in Paris in summer 1884 choosing the device "No jury nor awards" ( Sans In April he was visited by the American painter, Dodge MacKnight, who was resident in Fontvieille nearby. Dodge Macknight (1860 - 1950 was an American painter He was a friend of Vincent van Gogh, and introduced Van Gogh to the Belgian painter Eugène Boch. Fontvieille is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône département in southern France.

The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum, Arles, at Night, September 1888. Cafe Terrace at Night, also known as The Cafe Terrace on the Place du Forum, is an oil painting executed by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh on an

On 1 May he signed a lease for 15 francs a month to rent the four rooms in the right hand side of the "Yellow House" (so called because its outside walls were yellow) at No. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. For other uses see the disambiguation page Yellow House. The Yellow House is the title generally given to an oil painting by the 2 Place Lamartine. The house was unfurnished and had been uninhabited for some time so he was not able to move in straight away. He had been staying at the Hôtel Restaurant Carrel in the Rue de la Cavalerie, just inside the medieval gate to the city, with the old Roman Arena in view. The rate charged by the hotel was 5 francs a week, which Van Gogh regarded as excessive. He disputed the price, and took the case to the local arbitrator who awarded him a twelve franc reduction on his total bill. ^[58] On 7 May he moved out of the Hôtel Carrel, and moved into the Café de la Gare. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses ^[59] He became friends with the proprietors, Joseph and Marie Ginoux. Although the Yellow House had to be furnished before he could fully move in, Van Gogh was able to use it as a studio. ^[60] His major project at this time was a series of paintings intended to form the décoration for the Yellow House. See also Vincent van Gogh The Décoration for the Yellow House was the main project Vincent van Gogh focused in Arles from August 1888 till his breakdown

In June he visited Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (lit "Saint Marys of the Sea" Provençal Occitan Lei Santei Marias de la Mar) is the capital of the He gave drawing lessons to a Zouave second lieutenant, Paul-Eugène Milliet, who also became a companion. Zouave was the title given to certain Infantry regiments in the French Army, normally serving in French North Africa between 1831 and 1962 See also Vincent van Gogh Portraits Brabant & Antwerp 1881-1886 Paris 1886-1888 Arles 1888-1889 MacKnight introduced him to Eugène Boch, a Belgian painter, who stayed at times in Fontvieille (they exchanged visits in July). Eugène Boch ( 1 September 1855 – 3 January 1941) was a Belgian painter born in Saint-Vaast Hainaut and the younger brother of Anna Gauguin agreed to join him in Arles. In August he painted sunflowers; Boch visited again. The sunflower ( Helianthus annuus) is an Annual plant in the family Asteraceae and native to the Americas, with a large flowering On 8 September, upon advice from his friend the station's postal supervisor Joseph Roulin, he bought two beds,^[61] and he finally spent the first night in the still sparsely furnished Yellow House on 17 September. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz See also Vincent van Gogh The Roulin Family is group of portraits Vincent van Gogh executed in Arles in 1888 and 1889 Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec ^[62];

The Red Vineyard (November 1888), Pushkin Museum, Moscow). See also Vincent van Gogh The Red Vineyard is an oil painting by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, executed on a privately-primed The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts (Russian Музей изобразительных искусств им Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Sold to Anna Boch, 1890. Anna Rosalie Boch ( 10 February 1848 – 25 February 1936) was a Belgian painter, born in Saint-Vaast, Hainaut

On 23 October Gauguin eventually arrived in Arles, after repeated requests from Van Gogh. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - During November they painted together. Uncharacteristically, Van Gogh painted some pictures from memory, deferring to Gauguin's ideas in this. Their first joint outdoor painting exercise was conducted at the picturesque Alyscamps. The Alyscamps is a large Roman Necropolis, which is a short distance outside the walls of the old town of Arles, France. ^[63] It was in November that Van Gogh painted The Red Vineyard. See also Vincent van Gogh The Red Vineyard is an oil painting by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, executed on a privately-primed

In December the two artists visited Montpellier and viewed works by Courbet and Delacroix in the Museé Fabre. Montpellier ( Occitan Montpelhièr) is a City in the south of France. For the French Admiral see Admiral Courbet (1828-1885 Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet ( 10 June 1819 &ndash Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (26 April 1798 &ndash 13 August 1863 was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of However, their relationship was deteriorating badly. They quarrelled fiercely about art. Van Gogh felt an increasing fear that Gauguin was going to desert him, and what he described as a situation of "excessive tension" reached a crisis point on 23 December 1888, when Van Gogh stalked Gauguin with a razor and then cut off the lower part of his own left ear lobe, which he wrapped in newspaper and gave to a prostitute named Rachel in the local brothel, asking her to "keep this object carefully. Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a "^[64] Gauguin left Arles and did not see Van Gogh again. Van Gogh was hospitalised and in a critical state for a few days. He was immediately visited by Theo (whom Gauguin had notified), as well as Madame Ginoux and frequently by Roulin. In January 1889 Van Gogh returned to the "Yellow House", but spent the following month between hospital and home, suffering from hallucinations and paranoia that he was being poisoned. In March the police closed his house, after a petition by thirty townspeople, who called him fou roux ("the redheaded madman"). Signac visited him in hospital and Van Gogh was allowed home in his company. In April he moved into rooms owned by Dr. Rey, after floods damaged paintings in his own home. On 17 April Theo married Johanna Bonger in Amsterdam. Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor.

Saint-Rémy (May 1889 – May 1890)

The Starry Night, June 1889 (The Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Starry Night ( Dutch: De sterrennacht) is a Painting by Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, USA, on 53rd Street between Fifth New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous

On 8 May 1889 Van Gogh, accompanied by a carer, the Reverend Salles, committed himself to the mental hospital of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole in a former monastery in Saint Rémy de Provence, a little less than 20 miles (32 km) from Arles. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Saint-Rémy-de-Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Sant Romieg de Provença in classical and Sant Roumié de Prouvènço in Mistralian norms The monastery was a mile and a half out of the town and was in an area of cornfields, vineyards, and olive trees. The hospital was run by a former naval doctor, Dr. Théophile Peyron, who had no specialist qualifications. Doctor Théophile Peyron was a French naval doctor who ran the mental hospital of Saint-Paul-de Mausole in a former monastery just outside of Saint Rémy de Provence. Theo van Gogh arranged for his brother to have two small rooms, one for use as a studio, although in reality they were simply adjoining cells with barred windows. ^[65] During his stay there, the clinic and its garden became his main subject. At this time some of his work was characterised by swirls, as in one of his best-known paintings, The Starry Night. The Starry Night ( Dutch: De sterrennacht) is a Painting by Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. He took some short supervised walks, which gave rise to images of cypresses and olive trees, but because of the shortage of subject matter due to his limited access to the outside world, he painted interpretations of Millet's paintings, as well as his own earlier work. The Genus Cupressus is one of several genera within the family Cupressaceae that have the common name cypress; for the others The Olive ( Olea europaea) is a Species of small Tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern In September 1889 he painted two new versions of the Bedroom in Arles, and in February 1890 he painted four portraits of L'Arlésienne (Madame Ginoux), based directly on a charcoal sketch Gauguin had produced when Madame Ginoux had sat for both artists at the beginning of November 1888. Bedroom in Arles ( French: La Chambre à Arles; Dutch: Slaapkamer te Arles) is the title given to each of three similar paintings L'Arlésienne, L'Arlésienne (Madame Ginoux, or Portrait of Madame Ginoux are titles given to six Paintings by Vincent van Gogh, painted in Arles ^[66]

In January 1890, his work was praised by Albert Aurier in the Mercure de France, and he was called a genius. G Albert Aurier ( 1865 - October 5[[ 892]] was a Poet, Art critic and painter, devoted to Symbolism. The " Mercure de France " was a French gazette and Literary magazine first published from 1672 to 1724 (with an interruption in 1674-1677 under the title In February, invited by Les XX, a society of avant-garde painters in Brussels, he participated in their annual exhibition. Les XX was a group of twenty Belgian painters designers and sculptors formed in 1883 by the Brussels lawyer publisher and entrepreneur Octave See also Vincent van Gogh Vincent van Gogh's display at Les XX 1890, in Brussels is an important testament to the recognition he received amongst avant-garde peers When, at the opening dinner, Henry de Groux, a member of Les XX, insulted Van Gogh's works, Toulouse-Lautrec demanded satisfaction, and Signac declared, he would continue to fight for Van Gogh's honour, if Lautrec should be surrendered. Later, when Van Gogh's exhibit was on display with the Artistes Indépendants in Paris, Monet said that his work was the best in the show. ^[67]

Auvers-sur-Oise (May – July 1890)

Portrait of Dr. Gachet was sold for 82. Portrait of Dr Gachet is one of the most revered paintings by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh and fetched a record price of $82 5 million US dollars, current whereabouts unknown

In May 1890, Van Gogh left the clinic and went to the physician Dr. Paul Gachet, in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris, where he was closer to his brother Theo. Paul-Ferdinand Gachet ( 30 July 1828 - 9 January 1909) was a French Physician most famous for treating the painter Auvers-sur-Oise is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. Dr. Gachet had been recommended to him by Pissarro, as he had previously treated several artists and was an amateur artist himself. Van Gogh's first impression was that Gachet was "sicker than I am, I think, or shall we say just as much. "^[68] Later Van Gogh did two portraits of Gachet in oils, as well as a third—his only etching, and in all three emphasis is on Gachet's melancholic disposition. In his last weeks at Saint-Rémy Van Gogh's thoughts had been returning to his "memories of the North",^[69] and several of the approximately 70 oils he painted during his 70 days in Auvers-sur-Oise—such as The Church at Auvers—are reminiscent of northern scenes. The Church at Auvers, was painted by Dutch Post-impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh in 1890.

Probably van Gogh's final view of the outside world (looking through a window at the Auberge Ravoux)

Wheat Field with Crows—an example of the unusual double square canvas-size he used in the last weeks of his life—with its turbulent intensity is often, but mistakenly, thought to be Van Gogh's last work (Jan Hulsker lists seven paintings after it^[70]). See also Vincent van Gogh Wheat Field with Crows was painted in July 1890. See also Vincent van Gogh Double-squares and Squares are terms which point to the uncommon sizes of canvas Vincent van Gogh used exclusively Jan Hulsker ( 2 October 1907, The Hague - 9 November 2002, Vancouver) studied Dutch literature in Leyden and was promoted Daubigny's Garden is a more likely candidate. There are also seemingly unfinished paintings, such as Thatched Cottages by a Hill. See also Vincent van Gogh Thatched Cottages by a Hill is an oil painting by Vincent van Gogh that he painted in July 1890 when he lived

L’Auberge Ravoux, in Auvers-sur-Oise, where Vincent Van Gogh spent his final months and where he died. It is now a restaurant.

Van Gogh's depression deepened, and on 27 July 1890, at the age of 37, he walked into the fields and shot himself in the chest with a revolver. Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, clinical depression, or simply depression Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common rEVOLVEr is the fourth studio album by Swedish metal band The Haunted. Without realizing that he was fatally wounded he returned to the Ravoux Inn where he died in his bed two days later. See also Vincent van Gogh Portraits Brabant & Antwerp 1881-1886 Paris 1886-1888 Arles 1888-1889 Theo hastened to be at his side and reported his last words as "La tristesse durera toujours" (French for "the sadness will last forever"). French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Vincent was buried at the cemetery of Auvers-sur-Oise. Auvers-sur-Oise is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. ^[71] Theo had contracted syphilis—though this was not admitted by the family for many years—and not long after Vincent's death, was himself admitted to hospital. He was not able to come to terms with the grief of his brother's absence, and died six months later on 25 January at Utrecht. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Utrecht ( city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. In 1914 Theo's body was exhumed and re-buried beside Vincent.

Medical records

Vincent and Theo van Gogh's graves at the cemetery of Auvers-sur-Oise. Auvers-sur-Oise is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France.

Main article: Vincent van Gogh's medical condition

Van Gogh cut off^[72] the lobe of his left ear during some sort of seizure on 24 December 1888. There is no consensus on the medical condition of Vincent van Gogh. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a ^[73] Mental problems afflicted him, particularly in the last few years of his life. During some of these periods he did not paint or was not allowed to. There has been much debate over the years as to the source of Van Gogh's mental illness and its effect on his work. Over 150 psychiatrists have attempted to label his illness, and some 30 different diagnoses have been suggested. ^[74]

Diagnoses which have been put forward include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, syphilis, poisoning from swallowed paints, temporal lobe epilepsy and acute intermittent porphyria. Schizophrenia ( from the Greek roots schizein (σχίζειν "to split" and phrēn Temporal lobe epilepsy is a form of focal Epilepsy, a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent Seizures While Acute intermittent porphyria ( AIP) is a rare Autosomal dominant metabolic disorder affecting the production of Heme, the oxygen-binding Any of these could have been the culprit and been aggravated by malnutrition, overwork, insomnia, and a fondness for alcohol, and absinthe in particular. Absinthe is traditionally a distilled, highly alcoholic (45%-75% ABV) beverage

Still Life with Absinthe (1887)

Medical theories have even been proposed to explain Van Gogh's use of the colour yellow. One theory holds that Van Gogh's colour vision might have been affected by his love of absinthe, a liquor that contains a neurotoxin called thujone. Absinthe is traditionally a distilled, highly alcoholic (45%-75% ABV) beverage Thujone is a Ketone and a monoterpene that exists in two stereoisomeric forms (+-3-thujone or α-thujone and (−-3-thujone High doses of thujone can cause xanthopsia: seeing objects in yellow. Xanthopsia refers to the predominance of yellow in vision due to a yellowing of the optic media of the eye However, a 1991 study indicated that an absinthe drinker would become unconscious from the alcohol content long before consuming enough thujone to develop yellow vision. Thujone is a Ketone and a monoterpene that exists in two stereoisomeric forms (+-3-thujone or α-thujone and (−-3-thujone Another theory suggests that Dr. Gachet might have prescribed digitalis to Van Gogh as a treatment for epilepsy. There is no direct evidence that he ever took digitalis, but he did paint Gachet with some cut flower stalks of Common Foxglove, the plant from which the drug is derived. Digitalis purpurea ( Common Foxglove, Purple Foxglove or Lady's Glove) is a Flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae (formerly Those who take large doses of digitalis often report yellow-tinted vision or yellow spots surrounded by coronas (like those in the The Starry Night) and changes in overall colour perception. ^[75]

A recently proposed illness is lead poisoning. Lead poisoning (also known as saturnism, plumbism, or painter's colic) is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the metal Lead in The paints he used were lead-based, and one of the symptoms of lead poisoning results in a swelling of the retina, which may have led to the halo effect seen in many of Van Gogh's later works. ^[76] It has been suggested that Van Gogh suffered from the brain disorder, Hypergraphia. Hypergraphia is an overwhelming urge to write It is not itself a disorder but can be associated with Temporal lobe changes in Epilepsy and Mania in the The disorder causes a near constant overwhelming urge to write and is associated with epilepsy or mania. ^[77]

Work

Van Gogh drew and painted water-colours while he went to school, though very few of these works survive, and his authorship is challenged for many claimed to be from this period. When he committed himself to art as an adult (1880), he started at the elementary level by copying the "Cours de dessin," edited by Charles Bargue and published by Goupil & Cie. Charles Bargue (c 1826/1827&ndash April 6[[ 883]] was a French Artist, a lithographer as well as a painter who devised a drawing course Goupil & Cie were amongst the leading Art dealers in 19th century France, with headquarters in Paris. Within his first two years he began to seek commissions, and in spring 1882, his uncle, Cornelis Marinus (owner of a renowned gallery of contemporary art in Amsterdam) asked him to provide drawings of the Hague; Van Gogh's work did not prove up to his uncle's expectations. Despite this, Uncle Cor (or "C. M. " as he was referred to by his nephews) offered a second commission, specifying the subject matter in detail, but he was once again disappointed with the result.

Nevertheless, Van Gogh persevered with his work. He improved the lighting of his atelier (studio) by installing variable shutters, and experimented with a variety of drawing materials. For more than a year he worked hard on single figures—highly elaborated studies in "black and white," which at the time gained him only criticism. Nowadays they are appreciated as his first masterpieces. In spring 1883, he embarked on multi-figure compositions, based on the drawings. He had some of them photographed, but when his brother commented that they lacked liveliness and freshness, Vincent destroyed them and turned to oil painting. Already in autumn 1882, Theo had enabled him to do his first paintings, but the amount Theo could supply was soon spent. Then, in spring 1883, Vincent turned to renowned Hague School artists like Weissenbruch and Blommers, and received technical support from them, as well as from painters like De Bock and Van der Weele, both Hague School artists of the second generation. The Hague School is the name given to a group of artists who lived and worked in The Hague between 1860 and 1890 Johan Hendrik Weissenbruch ( 30 November 1824 in The Hague – 14 March 1903 in The Hague was a Dutch painter of the Hague School Bernardus Johannes (Bernard Blommers ( 30 January 1845 in The Hague – 12 December 1914 in The Hague was a Dutch painter of the Théophile de Bock ( Jan 14 1851, The Hague - Nov 22 1914, Haarlem) is a Dutch painter in the second generation of the Herman Johannes van der Weele ( Jan 13 1852, Middelburg - Dec 2 1930, The Hague) was a Dutch painter of the second generation When he moved to Nuenen, after the intermezzo in Drenthe, he started various large size paintings, but he destroyed most of them himself. The Potato Eaters and its companion pieces, The Old Tower on the Nuenen cemetery and The Cottage, are the only ones that have survived. The Potato Eaters (De Aardappeleters is a painting by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh that he painted in April 1885 while in Nuenen, After a visit to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Vincent was aware that many faults of his paintings were due to a lack of technical experience. So he went to Antwerp, and later to Paris to improve his technical skill.

This piece from the Hermitage Museum was painted six weeks before the artist's death, at around eight o'clock on 16 June 1890, as astronomers determined by Venus's position in the painting. The State Hermitage Museum (Государственный Эрмитаж Gosudarstvennyj Èrmitaž) in Saint Petersburg, Russia is one of the largest The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University ^[78]

More or less acquainted with impressionist and neo-impressionist techniques and theories, Van Gogh went to Arles to develop these new possibilities. But within a short time, older ideas on art and work reappeared: ideas like doing series on related or contrasting subject matter, which would reflect the purpose of art. Already in 1884 in Nuenen he had worked on a series that was to decorate the dining room of a friend in Eindhoven. Similarly in Arles, in spring 1888 he arranged his Flowering Orchards into triptychs, began a series of figures which found its end in The Roulin Family, and finally, when Gauguin had consented to work and live in Arles side by side with Vincent, he started to work on the The Décoration for the Yellow House, probably the most ambitious effort he ever undertook. The Flowering Orchards is a series of paintings executed by Vincent van Gogh in Arles, spring 1888. See also Vincent van Gogh The Roulin Family is group of portraits Vincent van Gogh executed in Arles in 1888 and 1889 See also Vincent van Gogh The Décoration for the Yellow House was the main project Vincent van Gogh focused in Arles from August 1888 till his breakdown Most of his later work is elaborating or revising its fundamental settings.

The paintings from the Saint-Rémy period are often characterized by swirls and spirals. The patterns of luminosity in these images have been shown^[79] to conform to Kolmogorov's statistical model of turbulence. Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov (Андрей Николаевич Колмогоров ( April 25, 1903 - October 20, 1987) was a Soviet In Fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is a fluid regime characterized by chaotic Stochastic property changes At various times in his life Van Gogh painted the view from his window; this culminated in the great series of paintings of the wheat field he could see from his adjoining cells in the asylum at Saint-Rémy. The Wheat Field is a series of oil paintings executed on size 30 canvases in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence by Vincent van Gogh.

Legacy

Posthumous fame

Main article: Posthumous fame of Vincent van Gogh

Since his first exhibits in the late 1880s, Van Gogh's fame grew steadily, among his colleagues and among art critics, dealers and collectors. See also Vincent van Gogh For a timeline see Vincent van Gogh chronology The fame of Vincent van Gogh began to spread in After his death, memorial exhibitions were mounted in Brussels, Paris, The Hague and Antwerp. In the early 20th century, the exhibitions were followed by vast retrospectives in Paris (1901 and 1905), Amsterdam (1905), Cologne (1912), New York City (1913) and Berlin (1914). The City of New York Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. These prompted a noticeable impact over a new generation of artists.

Influence on art

The French Fauves, including Henri Matisse, extended both his use of colour and freedom in applying it, as did German Expressionists in the Die Brücke group. Les Fauves ( French for The Wild Beasts) were a short-lived and loose grouping of early Henri Matisse (31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954 was a French Artist, known for his use of Colour and his fluid brilliant and original draughtsmanship The 1950s' Abstract Expressionism is seen as benefiting from the exploration Van Gogh started with gestural marks. Abstract expressionism was an American post– World War II Art movement. In 1957, Anglo-Irish artist Francis Bacon based several paintings on reproductions of Van Gogh's The Painter on his Way to Work (which had been destroyed during World War II). Francis Bacon' (28 October 1909 – 28 April 1992 was an Irish-born British figurative painter. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Cultural depictions

Main article: Cultural depictions of Vincent van Gogh

He has been the subject or inspiration for a number of different works, including films, and classical and popular music, including Don McLean's 1971 ballad "Vincent", also known by its opening words, "Starry Starry Night," which refer to the painting The Starry Night. This is a list that shows references made in culture to Van Gogh's life and work Donald McLean (born October 2 1945 in New Rochelle New York) is an American Singer-songwriter. "Starry Starry Night" redirects here For the Don McLean live album see Starry Starry Night (album. The Starry Night ( Dutch: De sterrennacht) is a Painting by Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh.

Gallery

The Blooming Plumtree (after Hiroshige), (1887)	Portrait of Père Tanguy, (1887)	Cherry Tree, (1888)	The Old Mill, (1888)
The Harvest, Arles, (1888)	Bridge at Arles, (1888)	View of Arles with Irises, (1888)	The Rhônebarken, (1888)
Cypresses, (1889)	Cornfield with Cypresses, (1889)	View of Arles (Flowering Orchards), (1889)	The Olive Trees, (1889)
Entrance of the Hospital, Saint-Remy, (1889)	L'Arlesienne: (Madame Ginoux), (1890)	The Round of the Prisoners, (1890)	Wheat Field with Crows, (1890)

Sources

Notes

External links

• Vincent van Gogh Gallery. The complete works and letters of Vincent van Gogh.
• Van Gogh's Letters, unabridged and annotated.
• Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
• Van Gogh at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D. C. , United States.
• Photographs of locations in Auvers-sur-Oise painted by Van Gogh.
• 'Drama at Arles new light on Van Gogh's self-mutilation' from Apollo, September 2005 by Martin Bailey.
• Painted with Words: Vincent van Gogh's Letters to Emile Bernard, New York Times, September 9, 2007
• Works by or about Vincent van Gogh in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Van Gogh at Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon, U. WorldCat is a Union catalog which itemizes the collections of more than 10000 libraries which participate in the OCLC global cooperative S. A.