Vincent Van Gogh Adele Smith

Van Gogh was born in Zundert, the Dutch province of Brabant in 1853.

In Saint Remy near Arles, the year before he cut off a piece of his right ear, Van Gogh lived in a mental hospital.

Van Gogh visited London at 20, Paris in 1874, in 1878 he worked as a preacher among Miners in Borinage, Belgium. He then stayed in Borinage for a period of time. 1880, he made his way back to Brussels where he took a short course at Brussel’s Academy, then he went back to his parents in Etten, Holland.

Before painting, Van Gogh wanted to make preaching he life work, because his father was a minister.

He was an impost impressionist, he studied impressionism but took the wild/bright colors further. He studied under his relative Anton Mauve. He began his career as an artist around the age of 27. In 1879, he started to sketch people in his local community and in 1855 he painted his first work, The Potatoes Eaters.

Van Gogh’s paintings were a product of his poor mental health. He suffered from anxiety, depression, and was a heavy drinker. December 24 he had his first mental seizure, that evening he cut off part of his left ear (his earlobe). Soon after he cut it off, he wrapped it up and presented it to a prostitute he knew.

During his last ten years, he produced more than 2,000 pieces, including around 900 paintings as well as 1,100 drawings and sketches. Most of his best-known works were produced during his final two years.

On 27 July 1890, aged 37, he walked into a field and shot himself in the chest with a revolve. He survived the impact, but not realizing that his injuries were to be fatal, he walked back to the Ravoux Inn. He died there two days later. Theo rushed to be at his side. Theo reported his brother's last words as "La tristesse durera toujours" ( the sadness will last forever. )

- -Van Gogh, Siccrocco Londres, 2003.