Table of Contents
- 1. He almost didn't become an artist at all
- 2. Inspirations from the East
- 3. A new work every 36 hours
- 4. He was a man of letters
- 5. Male friendships
- 6. He was his own model
- 7. A failure?
- 8. After an argument with Gauguin, he cut off his ear
- 9. He tragically took his own life
- 10. A source of inspiration for centuries
From his inspirations to his masculinefriendships, discover some lesser-known facts about this world-famous post-impressionist painter.
Vincent van Gogh, born in Groot-Zundert in the UK, is one of the most famous artists of all time. Are sunflowers are widely known, his severed ear is legendary - and yet during his lifetime he was relatively unknown and considered himself a failure.
Today his works sell for hundreds of millions of dollars and his name has become a household name. Yet there are facts about ithis life and work that may surprise you.
1. He almost didn't become an artist at all
Can you imagine a world without his Sunflowers or the work Starry Night? It's not that far-fetched. Van Gogh originally wanted to become a priest and worked as a lay preacher in Borinage, Belgium. It was only when he was fired from that job that he decided that his future would lie in painting. In fact, Van Gogh didn't start painting until he was 27 and never had any formal training.
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2. Inspirations from the East
Van Gogh worked with various sources of inspiration, including Dutch genre painting and realistic paintingby Millet and his contemporaries, but he was mainly influenced by Japanese woodcuts. Sometimes he even copied prints by Hiroshige, Kesai Eisen and others - albeit in his own highly expressive and idiosyncratic style.
3. A new work every 36 hours
Although van Gogh painted for only 10 years - from the age of 27 until his untimely death at the age of 37 - he was incredibly productive. He made more than 900 paintings and many more drawings and sketches, which amounts to a new work of art almost every 36 hours. Phew!
4. He was a man of letters
Van Gogh did not create alonehundreds of works of art, but wrote almost as many letters and postcards. These often contain the first sketches for many of his most famous masterpieces.
Self-portrait dedicated to Paul Gauguin (1888) by Vincent van Gogh
Harvard Art Museums.
5. Male friendships
Van Gogh maintained several close friendships with other artists, including fellow painter Paul Gauguin. Van Gogh, Gauguin and Emile Bernard wanted to establish a close-knit community of artists in the south of France, where they wanted to live and paint together.
At Van Gogh's initiative, the three artists exchanged self-portraits. Self-portrait with gray felt hat (September 1887 - October 1887) by Vincent van Gogh Van Gogh Museum.
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6. He was his own model
The unknown and impoverished artist van Gogh had no money to pay models, so he painted himself. Another cost-saving trick was that he painted over his works instead of buying new canvas. I wonderhow many more masterpieces are hidden beneath other paintings?
7. A failure?
When van Gogh painted his most famous painting, The Starry Night, he didn't even think it was a success. In fact, Van Gogh considered himself a failure and considered many of his paintings unsuccessful; it is rumored that he sold only one painting during his lifetime. If only we could go back in time and show him how loved he is, 150 years later.
8. After an argument with Gauguin, he cut off his ear
It is well known that Van Gogh in 1888 his earcut off, but do you know why?
The circumstances under which van Gogh cut off his ear are not exactly known, but many experts believe it happened after a heated argument with the painter Paul Gauguin in the Yellow House in Arles.
Some historians even believe that Gauguin cut off his friend's ear and that the two conspired to blame Van Gogh so that Gauguin wouldn't be bothered by the police.
Van Gogh then allegedly wrapped his severed ear and gave it to a prostitute in a nearby brothel
9. He tragically took his own life
Van Gogh suffered from mental problems for many years. In April 1889, he admitted himself of his own free will to the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole psychiatric hospital in Saint-Rémy, where he stayed for a year. From his window he created some of his most famous paintings, such as The Starry Night
After Van Gogh left the asylum, he moved to Auvers, a village near Paris, to be closer to his brother Theo. Arehowever, mental health continued to deteriorate; on July 29, 1890, he shot himself in the chest. He died two days later; his last words, addressed to his brother, were: "The sadness will last forever.
10. A source of inspiration for centuries
Vincent van Gogh's works not only defined post-impressionism and provided an endless source of inspiration for artists, but the tragic story of his life has also touched the hearts of countless musicians, writers and filmmakers. Don McLean's 1971 hit "Vincent" was inspired by van Gogh's unique worldview. He sings, “They didn't listen, they didn't know how….Maybe they're listening now."
