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Artists: Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh's "Self-Portrait with Straw Hat", painted in 1887. Second image: van Gogh's "Starry Night." Third image: van Gogh's"Irises". Wikimedia Commons

Synopsis: Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853, in Groot Zundert, Netherlands. He

was a post-impressionist painter. His work is known for its beauty, emotion and color. He

struggled with mental illness, and remained poor and virtually unknown throughout his life. Van

Gogh died in France on July 29, 1890, at age 37, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Early Life

Vincent van Gogh was born Vincent Willem van Gogh on March 30, 1853, in Groot Zundert,

Netherlands. His father, Theodorus van Gogh, was a country minister. His mother, Anna Cornelia

Carbentus, was a moody artist.

At age 15, van Gogh's family was struggling financially. He was forced to leave school and go to

work. Van Gogh got a job at his Uncle Cornelis' art dealership, Goupil & Cie., in The Hague.

In June of 1873, van Gogh was transferred to the Goupil Gallery in London, where he fell in love

with English culture. He also fell in love with his landlady's daughter. When she rejected his

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marriage proposal, van Gogh suffered a breakdown and was fired from the gallery.

Van Gogh then taught in a Methodist boys' school. Hoping to become a minister, he prepared to

take the entrance exam to the School of Theology in Amsterdam. However, he refused to take the

Latin exams, calling Latin a "dead language" of poor people, and was not admitted to the school.

In the fall of 1880, van Gogh decided to move to Brussels to become an artist. His younger brother

Theo, who worked as an art dealer, offered to support him financially.

Van Gogh had a catastrophic love life. He fell in love with his recently widowed cousin Kate, who

became disgusted and fled to her home in Amsterdam. Van Gogh then moved to The Hague and

fell in love with Clasina Maria Hoornik, who became his mistress and model. In 1882, he left her

after his family threatened to cut off his money.

Artist

Van Gogh's art helped him stay emotionally balanced. In 1885, he began work on what is

considered to be his first masterpiece, "Potato Eaters." The next year he moved to Paris, showing

up uninvited at his brother Theo's apartment.

In Paris, van Gogh first saw impressionist art, and was inspired by its color and light. He began

studying with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pissarro and other painters.

Van Gogh became influenced by Japanese art. Toulouse-Lautrec told him that the light in the

village of Arles in the south of France was just like the light in Japan. In February 1888, van Gogh

moved into a "little yellow house" in Arles. He spent most of his money on paint rather than

decent food, and before long he was very ill.

One night van Gogh went to the local brothel and paid for a prostitute named Rachel. Blood

pouring from his hand, he offered her the ear he had cut from his head. The police admitted him to

the Hôtel-Dieu hospital. Theo arrived on Christmas Day to see van Gogh, who was weak and

having seizures.

On January 7, 1889, van Gogh was released from the hospital.

The people of Arles signed a petition saying van Gogh

was dangerous. As a result, he decided to move to the

Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-

Provence. On May 8, 1889, he began painting in the

hospital gardens. In November 1889, he was invited

to exhibit his paintings in Brussels. He sent six

paintings, including "Irises" and "Starry Night."

Death And Legacy

On July 27, 1890, van Gogh shot himself in the chest,

but the bullet did not kill him immediately. He died

two days later in the arms of his brother, only 37 years

old.

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Theo died six months later. His wife Johanna collected as many of van Gogh's paintings as she

could, though many of them had been destroyed. On March 17, 1901, 71 of van Gogh's paintings

were displayed at a show in Paris, and his fame grew enormously.

Today, Vincent van Gogh is considered the greatest

Dutch painter after Rembrandt. He completed more

than 2,100 works, including 860 oil paintings and

more than 1,300 watercolors, drawings and sketches.

Several of his paintings rank among the most

expensive in the world. "Irises" sold for a record $53.9

million, and his "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" sold for $82.5

million.

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Quiz

1 Which piece of evidence BEST explains what people think about van Gogh's art?

(A) He began studying with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pissarro and other painters.

(B) The people of Arles signed a petition saying van Gogh was dangerous.

(C) He sent six paintings, including "Irises" and "Starry Night."

(D) Today, Vincent van Gogh is considered the greatest Dutch painter after Rembrandt.

2 Based on the article, which of these statements is TRUE?

(A) Johanna told van Gogh that the way he had been taught to paint was wrong.

(B) The people of Arles convinced van Gogh that artists could make money from painting.

(C) Japanese art inspired van Gogh and made him seek similar light for his painting.

(D) Impressionist art depressed van Gogh and may have led to some of his breakdowns.

3 What is MOST likely the reason the author included the stories about van Gogh's failed attempts with women?

(A) to show that many people in society were purposely mean to him

(B) to demonstrate that they were a major part of his mental breakdowns

(C) to show how patient Theo was with his brother

(D) to demonstrate his reasons for moving often from place to place

4 According to the biography, how did van Gogh's thoughts about his illness change after the people of Arles signed a petitionsaying he was dangerous?

(A) He became furious and refused to go back to the hospital.

(B) He realized that he was no longer ill but needed to move out of Arles.

(C) He became convinced that the town of Arles had caused his illness.

(D) He realized he needed to move to a hospital to be treated and continue painting.