The Life & Art of Vincent van Gogh
1853 — 1890
"I dream my painting and I paint my dream."
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In merely a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of which date from the last two years of his life.
This book takes you on a journey through the passionate, turbulent, and deeply inspiring life of a man who saw the world in swirling colors and burning light.
Early Life
Born on 30 March 1853 in Groot-Zundert, in the predominantly Catholic province of North Brabant in the Netherlands, Vincent was the eldest surviving child of Theodorus van Gogh, a Protestant minister, and his wife Anna Cornelia Carbentus.
As a child, Vincent was serious, silent, and thoughtful. He attended the village school and was then sent to a boarding school, where he felt abandoned. This sense of displacement would follow him throughout his life.
How can I be useful, of what service can I be? There is something inside me, what can it be?
Before becoming an artist, Vincent tried various careers — as an art dealer at Goupil & Cie, a teacher, a bookshop clerk, and a missionary in the coal mines of Belgium. Each path ended in disappointment, yet each experience deepened his understanding of human suffering and beauty.
The Artist Awakens
In 1880, at the age of 27, Vincent finally found his calling. He decided to become an artist. With the financial support of his beloved brother Theo, he began studying drawing and painting with fierce determination.
His early works depicted the harsh realities of peasant life in dark, earthy tones — revealing his deep empathy for the working class.
In 1886, Vincent moved to Paris to join his brother Theo. There he encountered the works of the Impressionists — Monet, Renoir, Pissarro — and the bold colors of the Neo-Impressionists. His palette transformed dramatically.
I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart.
He befriended Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, he developed a style characterized by bold outlines and flat areas of color. The dark tones of his Dutch period gave way to vibrant blues, yellows, and greens.
Arles — The Yellow House
In February 1888, Vincent left Paris for the sun-drenched south of France. He settled in Arles, renting rooms in 'The Yellow House.' Here, he dreamed of an artists' colony — a 'Studio of the South.' The Provençal light ignited a creative explosion.
In just over a year in Arles, Van Gogh produced over 200 paintings and more than 100 drawings. His famous 'Sunflowers' series, 'The Night Café,' and 'Bedroom in Arles' were all created during this prolific period.
I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say 'he feels deeply, he feels tenderly.'
Gauguin arrived in October 1888, but their cohabitation quickly deteriorated. After a heated argument on 23 December, Vincent severed part of his own ear. This incident marked the beginning of his severe mental health struggles.
The Starry Night
In May 1889, Vincent voluntarily entered the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. It was here, from the window of his room, that he painted what would become the most iconic painting in Western art.
The swirling night sky, luminous stars, and crescent moon create a vision of the cosmos that transcends mere observation. The painting captures not what Vincent saw, but what he felt — the infinite mystery and beauty of the universe.
For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.
Despite his mental anguish, the asylum period was remarkably productive. He created approximately 150 paintings during his year there, including 'Irises,' 'Wheatfield with Cypresses,' and numerous self-portraits.
Auvers & Final Days
In May 1890, Vincent moved to Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, under the care of Dr. Paul Gachet. In his final 70 days, he painted an astonishing 80 canvases — roughly one painting per day.
On 27 July 1890, Vincent walked into the wheat fields and shot himself in the chest. He managed to walk back to the inn. Theo rushed from Paris to be at his side. Vincent died two days later, on 29 July 1890, at the age of 37.
The sadness will last forever.
Theo, devastated by his brother's death, died just six months later. They are buried side by side in the cemetery of Auvers-sur-Oise, their graves covered in ivy — together in death as they were in life.
Legacy
During his lifetime, Vincent sold only one painting — 'The Red Vineyard' — for 400 francs. Today, his works are among the most valuable in the world.
What is done in love is done well.
The Eternal Painter
Vincent van Gogh lived only 37 years, yet his art speaks to millions across centuries. He transformed pain into beauty, loneliness into connection, and darkness into starlight.
"I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process."