Vincent van Gogh is a Dutch artist, one of the brightest representatives of post-impressionism. He worked a lot and fruitfully: for a little over ten years he created such a number of works that none of the famous painters had. He painted portraits and self-portraits, landscapes and still lifes, cypresses, wheat fields and sunflowers.

The artist was born near the southern border of the Netherlands in the village of Grot-Zundert. This event in the family of pastor Theodore van Gogh and his wife Anna Cornelia Carbentus happened on March 30, 1853. In total, there were six children in the Van Gogh family. The younger brother Theo helped Vincent throughout his life, took an active part in his difficult fate.

In the family, Vincent was a difficult, naughty child with some oddities, so he was often punished. Outside the house, on the contrary, he looked thoughtful, serious and quiet. He hardly played with children. The villagers considered him a modest, sweet, friendly and compassionate child. At the age of 7, he was sent to a village school, a year later they were taken away from there and taught at home, in the fall of 1864 the boy was taken to a boarding school in Zevenbergen.

Departure wounds the boy's soul and causes him much suffering. In 1866 he was transferred to another boarding school. Vincent is good at languages, and here he gets his first drawing skills. In 1868, in the middle school year he drops out of school and goes home. His education ends there. He remembers his childhood as something cold and gloomy.

Traditionally, the generations of the Van Goghs realized themselves in two areas of activity: the sale of paintings and church activities. Vincent will try himself both as a preacher and as a merchant, giving his whole self to the work. Having achieved some success, he refuses both, consecrating his life and all of himself to painting.

Carier start

In 1868, a fifteen-year-old boy entered the branch of the art firm Goupil & Co. in The Hague. Per Good work and his curiosity is sent to the London branch. During the two years that Vincent spent in London, he becomes a real businessman and connoisseur of engravings of English masters, quotes Dickens and Eliot, gloss appears in him. Van Gogh is waiting for the prospect of a brilliant commissioner of the central branch of Goupil in Paris, where he was supposed to move.

Pages from the book of letters to brother Theo

In 1875, events occurred that changed his life. In a letter to Theo, he calls his condition "painful loneliness." Researchers of the artist's biography suggest that the reason for this condition is rejected love. Who was the object of this love is not exactly known. It is possible that this version is wrong. The transfer to Paris did not help to change the situation either. He lost interest in Goupil and was fired.

Theology and missionary activity

In search of himself, Vincent is affirmed in his religious destiny. In 1877 he moved to his uncle Johannes in Amsterdam and was preparing to enter the Faculty of Theology. In his studies, he is disappointed, quits classes and leaves. The desire to serve people leads him to a missionary school. In 1879, he received a position as a preacher in Vama in southern Belgium.

He teaches the Law of God at the mining center in Borinage, helps the families of miners, visits the sick, teaches children, reads sermons, draws maps of Palestine to earn money. He himself lives in a miserable shack, eats water and bread, sleeps on the floor, torturing himself physically. In addition, he helps workers to defend their rights.

Local authorities remove him from his post, as they do not accept violent activity and extremes. During this period, he draws a lot of miners, their wives and children.

Becoming an artist

To get away from the depression associated with the events in Paturage, Van Gogh turns to painting. Brother Theo gives him support and he attends the Academy fine arts. But a year later, he drops out of school and goes to his parents, continuing to study on his own.

Falls in love again. This time to my cousin. His feelings do not find an answer, but he continues courtship, which irritates his relatives, who asked him to leave. Due to a new shock, he gives up his personal life, leaves for The Hague to take up painting. Here he takes lessons from Anton Mauve, works hard, observes city life, mainly in poor neighborhoods. Studying the “Drawing Course” by Charles Bargue, copying lithographs. Masters mixing various techniques on canvas, achieving interesting color shades in the works.

Once again he tries to start a family with a pregnant street woman whom he meets on the street. A woman with children moves in with him and becomes a model for the artist. Because of this, he quarrels with relatives and friends. Vincent himself feels happy, but not for long. The difficult nature of the cohabitant turned his life into a nightmare, and they parted.

The artist goes to the province of Drenthe in the north of the Netherlands, lives in a hut, which he equipped as a workshop, paints landscapes, peasants, scenes from their work and life. Early work Van Gogh, with reservations, but can be called realistic. The lack of academic education affected his drawing, in the inaccuracy of the depiction of human figures.

From Drent he moves to his parents in Nuenen, he draws a lot. Hundreds of drawings and paintings were created during this period. Simultaneously with creativity, she is engaged in painting with students, reads a lot and takes music lessons. The themes of the works of the Dutch period are simple people and scenes painted in an expressive manner with a predominance of a dark palette, gloomy and deaf tones. The masterpieces of this period include the painting "Potato Eaters" (1885), depicting a scene from the life of peasants.

Parisian period

After much deliberation, Vincent decides to live and create in Paris, where he moves at the end of February 1886. Here he meets his brother Theo, who has risen to the rank of director art gallery. The artistic life of the French capital of this period is in full swing.

A significant event is the Impressionist exhibition on Rue Lafitte. Signac and Seurat are exhibiting there for the first time, leading the Post-Impressionist movement that marked the final stage of Impressionism. Impressionism is a revolution in art that changed the approach to painting, displacing academic techniques and subjects. At the forefront is the first impression, pure colors, preference is given to painting in the open air.

In Paris, Van Gogh is taken care of by his brother Theo, settles him in his house, and introduces him to artists. In the workshop of the traditionalist artist Fernand Cormon, he met Toulouse-Lautrec, Emile Bernard and Louis Anquetin. Impressionist and post-impressionist paintings make a huge impression on him. In Paris, he became addicted to absinthe and even writes a still life on this subject.

Painting "Still life with absinthe"

The Parisian period (1886-1888) turned out to be the most fruitful, the collection of his works was replenished with 230 canvases. It was a time of searching for technology, studying innovative trends modern painting. He has a new view of painting. The realistic approach is replaced by a new manner, gravitating towards impressionism and post-impressionism, which is reflected in his still lifes with flowers and landscapes.

Brother introduces him to the most prominent representatives this direction: Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and others. With his friends, artists often goes to the open air. His palette gradually brightens, becomes brighter, and over time turns into a riot of colors, characteristic of his work in recent years.

Fragment of the painting “Agostina Segatori in a cafe”

In Paris, Van Gogh communicates a lot, visits the same places where his brothers go. In "Tambourine" he even starts a little romance with his mistress Agostina Segatori, who once posed for Degas. From it, he paints a portrait at a table in a cafe and several works in the nude style. Another meeting place was papa Tanga's shop, where paints and other materials for artists were sold. Here, as in many other similar institutions, artists exhibited their work.

A group of Small Boulevards is being formed, which includes Van Gogh and his comrades, who have not reached such heights as the masters of the Grand Boulevards - more famous and recognized. The spirit of rivalry and tension that reigned in the Parisian society of that time become unbearable for an impulsive and uncompromising artist. He enters into disputes, quarrels and decides to leave the capital.

severed ear

In February 1888, he goes to Provence and becomes attached to it with all his heart. Theo sponsors his brother, sending him 250 francs a month. In gratitude, Vincent sends his paintings to his brother. He rents four rooms in a hotel, eats in a cafe, the owners of which become his friends and pose for pictures.

With the advent of spring, the artist is captivated by the southern sun, blooming trees. He is delighted with the bright colors and transparency of the air. The ideas of impressionism are gradually leaving, but fidelity to the light palette and painting in the open air remains. Works are dominated yellow, acquiring a special radiance coming from the depths.

Vincent Van Gogh. Self-portrait with severed ear

To work at night in the open air, he fixes candles on his hat and sketchbook, illuminating his workplace in this way. This is how his paintings "Starry Night over the Rhone" and "Night Cafe" were painted. An important event is the arrival of Paul Gauguin, whom Vincent repeatedly invited to Arles. An enthusiastic and fruitful cohabitation ends in a quarrel and a break. Self-confident, pedantic Gauguin was the complete opposite of the uncollected and restless Van Gogh.

The epilogue of this story is a stormy showdown before Christmas 1888, when Vincent cut off his ear. Gauguin, frightened that they were going to attack him, hid in the hotel. Vincent wrapped the bloody earlobe in paper and sent it to their mutual friend, the prostitute Rachel. In a pool of blood, he was discovered by his friend Roulin. The wound heals quickly, but mental health sends him back to the hospital bed.

Death

The inhabitants of Arles begin to fear a city dweller unlike them. In 1889, they write a petition demanding that they be rid of the "red-haired madman." Vincent realizes the danger of his condition and voluntarily goes to the hospital of St. Paul of Mausoleum in Saint-Remy. During treatment, he is allowed to write on the street under the supervision of medical staff. This is how his works with characteristic wavy lines and swirls appeared (“Starry night”, “Road with cypresses and a star”, etc.).

Painting “Starry night”

In Saint-Remy, periods of intense activity are replaced by long breaks caused by depression. At the time of one of the crises, he swallows paint. Despite the increased aggravation of the disease, Theo's brother encourages his participation in the September Salon des Indépendants in Paris. In January 1890, Vincent exhibits "Red Vineyards at Arles" and sells them for four hundred francs, which is a pretty decent amount. It was the only painting sold during his lifetime.

Painting "Red Vineyards in Arles"

His joy was immeasurable. The artist did not stop working. The success of the Vineyards is also inspired by his brother Theo. He supplies Vincent with paints, but Vincent begins to eat them. In May 1890, the brother negotiates with the homeopathic therapist Dr. Gachet about the treatment of Vincent in his clinic. The doctor himself is fond of drawing, so he happily takes up the treatment of the artist. Vincent is also disposed towards Gache, sees in him a kind-hearted and optimistic person.

A month later, Van Gogh is allowed to travel to Paris. His brother does not welcome him very kindly. He has financial problems, his daughter is very sick. Vincent is unbalanced by such a reception, he understands that he is becoming, perhaps, and has always been a burden for his brother. Shocked, he returns to the clinic.

Fragment of the painting "Road with cypresses and a star"

On July 27, as usual, he goes to the open air, but returns not with sketches, but with a bullet in his chest. A bullet fired by him from a pistol hit the rib and went away from the heart. The artist himself returned to the shelter and went to bed. Lying in bed, he calmly smoked his pipe. It seemed that the wound did not hurt him.

Gachet summoned Theo by telegram. He immediately arrived, began to reassure his brother that they would help him, that there was no need to indulge in despair. The answer was the phrase: "Sorrow will last forever." The artist died on July 29, 1890 at half past one in the night. He was buried in the town of Mary on July 30.

Many of his artist friends came to say goodbye to the artist. The walls of the room were hung with his latest paintings. Dr. Gachet wanted to make a speech, but he cried so hard that he managed to utter only a few words, the essence of which was that Vincent was a great artist and an honest man, that art, which for him was above all, would repay him by perpetuating his name .

The artist's brother Theo van Gogh passed away six months later. He did not forgive himself for quarrels with his brother. His despair, which he shares with his mother, becomes unbearable, and he falls ill with a nervous breakdown. Here is what he wrote in a letter to his mother after the death of his brother:

“It is impossible to describe my grief, as it is impossible to find consolation. It is a grief that will last and from which, of course, I will never get rid of as long as I live. The only thing that can be said is that he himself found the peace he longed for... Life was such a heavy burden for him, but now, as often happens, everyone praises his talents... Oh, mother! He was so mine, my own brother."

Theo van Gogh, the artist's brother

And this is Vincent's last letter, written by him after the quarrel:

“It seems to me that since everyone is a little nervous and also too busy, it’s not worth it to sort out all the relationships to the end. I was a little surprised that you seem to want to rush things. How can I help, or rather, what can I do to make it suit you? One way or another, mentally again I firmly shake hands with you and, in spite of everything, I was glad to see you all. Don't doubt it."

In 1914, Theo's remains were reburied by his widow next to Vincent's grave.

Personal life

One of the reasons for Van Gogh's mental illness could be his failed personal life, he never found a life partner. The first fit of despair came after the refusal of the daughter of his housewife Ursula Leuer, with whom he had been secretly in love for a long time. The proposal sounded unexpected, shocked the girl, and she rudely refused.

History repeated itself with widowed cousin Key Stricker Voe, but this time Vincent decides not to give up. The woman does not accept courtship. On his third visit to his beloved's relatives, he sticks his hand into the flame of a candle, promising to keep her there until she gives her consent to become his wife. By this act, he finally convinced the girl's father that he was dealing with a mentally ill person. They did not stand on ceremony with him anymore and simply escorted him out of the house.

Sexual dissatisfaction was reflected in his nervous state. Vincent begins to like prostitutes, especially not very young and not very beautiful, whom he could bring up. Soon he decides on a pregnant prostitute who moves in with his 5-year-old daughter. After the birth of his son, Vincent becomes attached to the children and thinks about getting married.

The woman posed for the artist and lived with him for about a year. Because of her, he had to be treated for gonorrhea. Relations deteriorated completely when the artist saw how cynical, cruel, sloppy and unbridled she was. After parting, the lady indulged in her former occupations, and Van Gogh left The Hague.

Margot Begemann in youth and maturity

AT last years Vincent was stalked by a 41-year-old woman named Margot Begemann. She was a neighbor of the artist in Nuenen and really wanted to get married. Van Gogh, rather out of pity, agrees to marry her. Parents did not give consent to this marriage. Margo almost committed suicide, but Van Gogh saved her. In the following period, he has many promiscuity, he visits brothels and from time to time is treated for venereal diseases.

Vincent van Gogh, a native of the Netherlands, is one of the most famous artists worldwide. Thanks to the talent of the post-impressionist, a huge amount of incredible beauty of works was created. Most famous paintings Van Gogh is now considered his "calling card".

However, not all of them were as widely known during the life of the artist, as in our time. Only after Van Gogh's death were his works noticed by critics, and only then were they appreciated. The collection of his paintings contains many priceless paintings, when viewed from a cultural point of view.

Flowering branches of almonds 1890

"Blossoming almond branches"(1890). At the beginning of 1890, Theo, Van Gogh's brother, had a son, who was named after the artist - also Vincent. Van Gogh became very attached to the child and once wrote in a letter to his daughter-in-law Jo: "He always looks with great interest at the paintings of Uncle Vincent." This painting was painted by Van Gogh as a birthday present for his nephew. The artist himself was an admirer Japanese art, especially the Ukiyo-e print genre. The influence of this branch of Japanese painting can be seen in this one of Van Gogh's most famous paintings, which was highly acclaimed by critics.

Wheat field with cypresses 1889

"Wheat field with cypresses"(1889). "Wheat Field with Cypresses" is one of three famous paintings by Van Gogh that are similar in composition. The painting mentioned above is the first of three and was completed in July 1889. The artist himself loved cypresses and wheat fields and spent a lot of time enjoying their beauty. He regarded this painting as one of his best landscape paintings and consequently created two more similar works. It is this work that takes pride of place in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is located in New York.

Bedroom in Arles 1888

"Bedroom in Arles"(1888). This famous painting by Van Gogh is the first version of the subsequent three similar paintings that refer to it and are called much more simply - "Bedroom". The decision to paint this picture was made by the artist after a trip to the city of Arles, and the subsequent move there. Van Gogh was in correspondence with his brother Theo and friend Paul Gauguin. He often sent them sketches of his future canvases, as he did with the painting "Bedroom in Arles". However, together with the planned one painting, three versions were created during 1888-1889. This series of paintings is distinguished by the fact that it depicts other works of the artist within the canvas itself, such as: self-portrait, portraits of friends and Japanese prints.

Potato Eaters 1885

"Potato Eaters"(1885). This work was the first recognizable work of Van Gogh. His goal during the painting was to portray the peasants as realistically as possible. Before the world saw the final version of the canvas, the artist created many sketches and sketches. Critics noted the simple interior, which Van Gogh skillfully conveyed through the canvas, in which only the necessary furniture is present. Above the table, a lamp gives off a dim light, emphasizing the tired, simple faces of the peasants.

Self portrait with bandaged ear 1889

"Self-portrait with bandaged ear"(1889). Vincent van Gogh became famous for his self-portraits. Throughout his life, he wrote more than 30. This canvas has its own history. Once Van Gogh had a quarrel with one of the outstanding artists of that time - Paul Gauguin, after which the first got rid of part of his left ear, namely, he cut off the lobe with an ordinary razor. This canvas is one of the most famous self-portraits of the artist. After an unpleasant incident with Gauguin, he painted another self-portrait. Critics believe that this picture plausibly describes the facial features of the artist, as he painted it while sitting in front of a mirror.

Night cafe terrace 1888

"Night Cafe Terrace"(1888). On this canvas, Van Gogh depicted the terrace of a cafe on the Place du Forum in Arles, France. Thanks to the recognizability of this painting, which has become widely known throughout the world, the terrace, which is located in the northeast corner of the square, attracts more and more tourists every day. This work was the first on which the artist depicted the starry sky. Café Terrace at Night remains one of Van Gogh's most analyzed and discussed paintings. Interestingly, one of the cafes in Croatia copied the design from the artist's painting.

Dr. Gachet Porter 1890

"Porter of Dr. Gachet"(1890) Paul-Ferdinand Gachet was a French physician who treated the artist during recent months his life. This portrait is one of Van Gogh's most famous paintings. However, there are two versions of the portrait, and this is the first version. In May 1990, this painting was sold under the hammer for US$82 million, making it the most expensive painting ever sold. This remains the highest price for a work of art at public auction to date.

Irises 1889

"Irises"(1889). Among the most recognizable works of Van Gogh, this canvas is the most famous. It was painted by Van Gogh a year before his death, and the artist himself defined it as "a lightning rod for my illness." He believed that this canvas is his hope not to go crazy. The artist's canvas depicts a field, its part strewn with flowers. Among the irises there are other flowers, but it is the irises that occupy the central part of the picture. In September 1987, the Irises were sold for US$53.9 million. At that time, it was the highest price for which no painting had yet been sold. To date, the canvas takes 15th place in the list of the most expensive works.

Sunflowers 1887

"Sunflowers"(1888). Vincent van Gogh is considered a master of still life paintings and his series of sunflowers are considered the most famous still life paintings ever created. The artworks are known and remembered for depicting the natural beauty of plants and their vibrant colors. One of the paintings, "Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers," was sold to a Japanese investor for almost $40 million in March 1987. Two years later, this record was handed over to the Irises.

Starry night 1889

"Starlight Night"(1889). This masterpiece was painted by Van Gogh from memory. It depicts the view from the window of the artist's sanatorium, which is located in Saint-Remy de Provence in France. The work also shows Vincent's interest in astronomy, and a study by one of the observatories showed that Van Gogh represented the Moon, Venus and several stars in the exact position they occupied on that clear night, which was imprinted in the artist's memory. The canvas is considered one of the greatest works in Western art and is certainly the most famous work Vincent van Gogh.

On December 23, 1888, the now world famous post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh lost his ear. There are several versions of what happened, however, Van Gogh's whole life was full of absurd and very strange facts.

Van Gogh wanted to follow in his father's footsteps - to become a preacher

Van Gogh dreamed of becoming, like his father, a priest. He even completed a missionary internship that was required for admission to an evangelical school. He lived for about a year in the outback among the miners.

But it turned out that the admission rules have changed, and the Dutch have to pay tuition. The missionary Van Gogh was offended and after that decided to leave religion and become an artist. However, his choice was not accidental. Vincent's uncle was a partner in Goupil, the largest art dealer company at that time.

Van Gogh started painting only at the age of 27.

Van Gogh began to draw already in adulthood, when he was 27 years old. Contrary to popular belief, he was not a kind of "brilliant amateur" like the conductor Pirosmani or the customs officer Rousseau. By that time, Vincent van Gogh was an experienced art dealer and first entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, and later at the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts. True, he studied there for only three months, until he left for Paris, where he met the Impressionists, including with.

Van Gogh started with "peasant" painting like "The Potato Eaters". But his brother Theo, who knew a lot about art and supported Vincent financially throughout his life, managed to convince him that "light painting" was created for success, and the public will definitely appreciate it.

The artist's palette has a medical explanation

The abundance of yellow spots of different shades in the paintings of Vincent van Gogh, according to scientists, has a medical explanation. There is a version that such a vision of the world is caused by a large amount of epilepsy drugs consumed by him. Attacks of this disease he developed in the last years of his life due to hard work, riotous lifestyle and abuse of absinthe.

The most expensive painting by Van Gogh was in the collection of Goering

For more than 10 years Vincent van Gogh's "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" held the title of the most expensive painting in the world. Ryoei Saito, a businessman from Japan, owner of a large paper company, purchased this painting from the Christie auction in 1990 for $82 million. The owner of the painting specified in his will that the painting should be cremated with him after his death. In 1996, Ryoei Saito died. It is known for certain that the painting was not burned, but where exactly it is now is unknown. It is believed that the artist painted 2 versions of the picture.

However, this is just one fact from the history of the “Portrait of Dr. Gachet”. It is known that after the exhibition "Degenerate Art" in Munich in 1938, Nazi Goering acquired this painting for his collection. True, he soon sold it to a certain Dutch collector, and then the painting ended up in the United States, where it was until it was acquired by Saito.

Van Gogh is one of the most kidnapped artists

In December 2013, the FBI released its top 10 high-profile thefts of brilliant art so that the public could help solve crimes. The most valuable on this list are 2 paintings by Van Gogh - "Sea View in Schwingen" and "Church in Nyunen", which are estimated at $ 30 million each. Both of these paintings were stolen in 2002 from the Vincent van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. It is known that two men were arrested as suspects in the theft, but it was not possible to prove their guilt.

In 2013, Vincent van Gogh's painting "Poppies" by Vincent van Gogh, estimated at $50 million by experts, was stolen from the Mohammed Mahmoud Khalil Museum in Egypt due to the negligence of the management. The painting has not yet been returned.

Van Gogh's ear could have been cut off by Gauguin

The history of the ear in many biographers of Vincent van Gogh is in doubt. The fact is that if the artist cut off his ear at the root, he would die from blood loss. The artist's only earlobe was cut off. There is a record of this in the surviving medical report.

There is a version that the incident with the cut off ear occurred during a quarrel between Van Gogh and Gauguin. Gauguin, experienced in sailor fights, slashed Van Gogh on the ear, and he had a seizure from stress. Later, trying to whitewash himself, Gauguin came up with a story about how Van Gogh was chasing him in a fit of madness with a razor and crippled himself.

Unknown paintings by Van Gogh are still found today

This fall, the Vincent Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam identified a new painting by the great master. The painting "Sunset at Montmajour", as stated by the researchers, was painted by Van Gogh in 1888. What makes this find exceptional is the fact that the painting belongs to a period considered by art historians to be the pinnacle of the artist's work. The discovery was made using methods such as comparison of style, colors, techniques, computer analysis of the canvas, x-ray photographs and the study of Van Gogh's letters.

The painting "Sunset at Montmajour" is currently exhibited in the artist's museum in Amsterdam in the exhibition "Van Gogh at work".

When 37-year-old Vincent van Gogh died on July 29, 1890, his work was almost unknown to anyone. Today, his paintings are worth stunning sums and adorn best museums peace.

125 years after the death of the great Dutch painter it is time to learn more about him and dispel some of the myths that, like the whole history of art, his biography is full of.

He changed several jobs before becoming an artist

The son of a minister, Van Gogh started working at the age of 16. His uncle hired him as an intern for an art dealership in The Hague. He happened to travel to London and Paris, where the firm's branches were located. In 1876 he was fired. After that, he worked briefly as a schoolteacher in England, then as a bookstore clerk. From 1878 he served as a preacher in Belgium. Van Gogh was in need, he had to sleep on the floor, but less than a year later he was fired from this post. Only after that did he finally become an artist and did not change his occupation anymore. In this field, he became famous, however, posthumously.

Van Gogh's career as an artist was short

In 1881, the self-taught Dutch artist returned to the Netherlands, where he devoted himself to painting. He was supported financially and materially by his younger brother Theodore, a successful art dealer. In 1886, the brothers settled in Paris, and these two years in the French capital turned out to be crucial. Van Gogh took part in exhibitions of the Impressionists and Neo-Impressionists, he began to use a light and bright palette, experimenting with methods of applying strokes. The artist spent the last two years of his life in the south of France, where he created some of his most famous paintings.

In his entire ten-year career, he sold only a few of over 850 paintings. His drawings (there are about 1300 of them left) were then unclaimed.

He probably didn't cut off his own ear.

In February 1888, after living in Paris for two years, Van Gogh moved to the south of France, to the city of Arles, where he hoped to establish a community of artists. He was accompanied by Paul Gauguin, with whom they became friends in Paris. The officially accepted version of events is as follows:

On the night of December 23, 1888, they quarreled, and Gauguin left. Van Gogh, armed with a razor, pursued his friend, but, not catching up, returned home and, in annoyance, partially cut off his left ear, then wrapped it in a newspaper and gave it to some prostitute.

In 2009, two German scientists published a book suggesting that Gauguin, being a good swordsman, cut off part of Van Gogh's ear with a saber during a duel. According to this theory, Van Gogh, in the name of friendship, agreed to hide the truth, otherwise Gauguin would have been threatened with prison.

The most famous paintings were painted by him in a psychiatric clinic

In May 1889, Van Gogh asked for help from mental asylum Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, located in a former monastery in the city of Saint-Remy-de-Provence in southern France. Initially, the artist was diagnosed with epilepsy, but the examination also revealed bipolar disorder, alcoholism and metabolic disorders. Treatment consisted mainly of baths. He remained in the hospital for a year and painted a number of landscapes there. Over a hundred paintings from this period include some of his most famous works such as Starry Night (acquired by the New York Museum of contemporary art in 1941) and Irises (purchased by an Australian industrialist in 1987 for a then-record $53.9 million)

Vincent Willem van Gogh is a Dutch artist who laid the foundations of the Post-Impressionist movement and largely determined the principles of the work of modern masters.

Van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in the village of Groot Zundert in the province of North Brabant (Noord-Brabant), bordering Belgium.

Father Theodore Van Gogh is a Protestant clergyman. Mother Anna Cornelia Carbentus (Anna Cornelia Carbentus) - from a family of respected bookseller and bookbinding specialist from the city (Den Haag).

Vincent was the 2nd child, but his brother died immediately after the birth, so the boy turned out to be the eldest, and after him five more children were born in the family:

• Theodorus (Theo) (Theodorus, Theo);
• Cornelis (Cor) (Cornelis, Cor);
• Anna Cornelia (Anna Cornelia);
• Elizabeth (Liz) (Elizabeth, Liz);
• Willemina (Vil) (Willamina, Vil).

They named the baby in honor of his grandfather, a minister of Protestantism. This name was supposed to be given to the first child, but due to his early death, Vincent got it.

Memories of relatives paint Vincent's character as very strange, capricious and wayward, naughty and capable of unexpected antics. Outside the home and family, he was brought up, quiet, polite, modest, kind, distinguished by a striking intelligent look and full of sympathy heart. However, he avoided peers and did not join their games and fun.

At the age of 7, his father and mother enrolled him in school, but a year later he and his sister Anna were transferred to home schooling and a governess took care of the children.

At the age of 11, in 1864, Vincent was assigned to a school in Zevenbergen. Although it was only 20 km from his native place, the child could hardly bear the separation, and these experiences were remembered forever.

In 1866, Vincent was determined as a student at the educational institution of Willem II in Tilburg (College Willem II in Tilburg). The teenager made great strides in mastering foreign languages He spoke and read fluent French, English, and German. Teachers also noted Vincent's ability to draw. However, in 1868 he abruptly dropped out of school and returned home. He was no longer sent to educational institutions, he continued to receive education at home. Memories famous artist about the beginning of life were sad, childhood was associated with darkness, cold and emptiness.

Business

In 1869, in The Hague, Vincent was hired by his uncle, who bore the same name, whom the future artist called "Uncle Saint". Uncle was the owner of a branch of the Goupil & Cie company, which was engaged in the examination, evaluation and sale of art objects. Vincent acquires the profession of a dealer and makes significant progress, so in 1873 he was sent to work in London.

Work with works of art was very interesting to Vincent, he learned to understand the fine arts, became a regular visitor to museums and exhibition halls. His favorite authors were Jean-François Millet and Jules Breton.

The story of Vincent's first love dates back to the same period. But the story was not clear and confusing: he lived in a rented apartment with Ursula Loyer (Ursula Loyer) and her daughter Eugene (Eugene); biographers argue about who was the subject of love: one of them or Carolina Haanebik (Carolina Haanebeek). But whoever the beloved was, Vincent was refused and lost interest in life, work, art. He begins to read the Bible thoughtfully. During this period, in 1874, he had to transfer to the Paris branch of the company. There he again becomes a frequenter of museums and is fond of creating drawings. Hating the activity of the dealer, he ceases to bring income to the company, and he is fired in 1876.

Teaching and religion

In March 1876, Vincent moved to Great Britain, and entered a free-of-charge teacher at a school in Ramsgate. At the same time, he is thinking about a career as a clergyman. In July 1876, he moved to a school in Isleworth, where he additionally assisted the priest. In November 1876, Vincent reads a sermon and is convinced of the mission to carry the truth of religious teaching.

In 1876, Vincent arrives for the Christmas holidays in native home, and his mother and father begged him not to leave. Vincent got a job in a bookstore in Dordrecht, but he does not like the trade, all the time he devotes to translating biblical texts and drawing.

Father and mother, rejoicing in his desire for religious service, send Vincent to Amsterdam (Amsterdam), where he, with the help of a relative, Johaness Stricker, prepares in theology for admission to the university, and lives with his uncle, Jan Van Gogh. Gogh), who had the rank of admiral.

After enrolling, Van Gogh was a theology student until July 1878, after which, disappointed, he refuses further studies and flees from Amsterdam.

The next stage of the search was associated with the Protestant missionary school in the city of Laken (Laken) near Brussels (Brussel). The school was led by Pastor Bokma. Vincent gains experience in composing and delivering sermons for three months, but leaves this place as well. Information from biographers is contradictory: either he quit his job himself, or he was fired because of carelessness in clothes and unbalanced behavior.

In December 1878, Vincent continues his missionary service, but now in the southern region of Belgium, in the village of Paturi. Mining families lived in the village, Van Gogh selflessly worked with children, visited houses and talked about the Bible, cared for the sick. To feed himself, he drew maps of the Holy Land and sold them. Van Gogh showed himself as an ascetic, sincere and tireless, as a result, he was given a small salary from the Evangelical Society. He planned to enter the Gospel School, but the education was paid, and this, according to Van Gogh, is incompatible with true faith, which cannot be associated with money. At the same time, he submits a request to the management of the mines to improve the working conditions of the miners. He was refused, deprived of the right to preach, which shocked him and led to another disappointment.

First steps

Van Gogh finds calm at the easel, in 1880 he decides to try his hand at the Brussels Royal Academy of Arts. He is supported by his brother Theo, but a year later, training is abandoned again, and the eldest son returns to the parental roof. He is absorbed in self-education, he works tirelessly.

He is in love with a widow cousin Kee Vos-Stricker, who raised her son and came to visit the family. Van Gogh is rejected, but persists, and he is kicked out of his father's house. These events shocked the young man, he flees to The Hague, immerses himself in creativity, takes lessons from Anton Mauve, comprehends the laws visual arts makes copies of lithographic works.

Van Gogh spends a lot of time in neighborhoods inhabited by the poor. The works of this period are sketches of courtyards, roofs, lanes:

• Backyards (De achtertuin) (1882);
• Roofs. View from Van Gogh's Studio" (Dak. Het uitzicht vanuit de Studio van van Gogh) (1882).

An interesting technique that combines watercolor paints, sepia, ink, chalk, etc.

In The Hague, he chooses a woman of easy virtue named Christine as his wife.(Van Christina), which he picked up right on the panel. Christine moved to Van Gogh with her children, became a model for the artist, but she had a terrible character, and they had to leave. This episode leads to a final break with parents and loved ones.

After breaking up with Christine, Vincent leaves for Drenth, in the countryside. During this period, there landscape works artist, as well as paintings depicting the life of the peasantry.

Early work

The period of creativity, representing the first works made in Drenthe, is distinguished by realism, but they express key characteristics individual style of the artist. Many critics believe that these features are due to the lack of elementary art education: Van Gogh did not know the laws of the image of a person, therefore, the characters of the paintings and sketches seem angular, ungraceful, as if emerging from the bosom of nature, like rocks, which are pressed by the vault of heaven:

• "Red Vineyards" (Rode wijngaard) (1888);
• "Peasant Woman" (Boerin) (1885);
• The Potato Eaters (De Aardappeleters) (1885);
• "The Old Church Tower in Nuenen" (De Oude Begraafplaats Toren in Nuenen) (1885) and others.

These works are distinguished by a dark palette of shades that convey the painful atmosphere of the surrounding life, the painful situation of ordinary people, the sympathy, pain and drama of the author.

In 1885, he was forced to leave Drenthe, as he displeased the priest, who considered drawing debauchery and forbade the locals to pose for pictures.

Parisian period

Van Gogh travels to Antwerp, takes lessons at the Academy of Arts and additionally in a private educational institution, where he works hard on the image of nudity.

In 1886, Vincent moved to Paris to Theo, who worked in a dealer office that specialized in transactions for the sale of art objects.

In Paris in 1887/88, Van Gogh takes lessons at a private school, learns the basics of Japanese art, the basics of the impressionistic manner of writing, the work of Paul Gauguin (Pol Gogen). This stage in creative biography Vag Gog is called light, in the works soft blue, bright yellow, fiery shades are the leitmotif, the writing style is light, betraying movement, the “stream” of life:

• “Agostina Segatori in het Café Tamboerijn”;
• "Bridge over the Seine" (Brug over de Seine);
• "Daddy Tanguy" (Papa Tanguy), etc.

Van Gogh admired the Impressionists, met celebrities thanks to his brother Theo:

• Edgar Degas;
• Camille Pissarro;
• Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (Anri Touluz-Lautrec);
• Paul Gauguin;
• Emile Bernard and others.

Van Gogh was among good friends and like-minded people, he was involved in the process of preparing expositions, which were organized in restaurants, bars, theater halls. The audience did not appreciate Van Gogh, they recognized them as terrible, but he plunges into teaching and self-improvement, comprehends the theoretical basis of color technique.

In Paris, Van Gogh created about 230 works: still lifes, portraits and landscape painting, cycles of paintings (for example, the “Shoes” series of 1887) (Schoenen).

It is interesting that the person on the canvas acquires a secondary role, and the main thing is the bright world of nature, its airiness, richness of colors, and their subtlest transitions. Van Gogh opens newest direction- post-impressionism.

Blossoming and finding your own style

In 1888, Van Gogh, worried about the misunderstanding of the audience, leaves for the southern French city Arles. Arles became the city in which Vincent realized the purpose of his work: do not strive to reflect the real visible world, but with the help of color and simple techniques to express your inner "I".

He decides to break with the Impressionists, but the peculiarities of their style long years are manifested in his works, in the ways of depicting light and air, in the manner of arranging color accents. Typical for impressionist works are series of canvases on which the same landscape, but at different times of the day and under different lighting conditions.

The attractiveness of the style of Van Gogh's heyday is in the contradiction between the desire for a harmonious worldview and the awareness of one's own helplessness in the face of a disharmonious world. Full of light and festive nature, the works of 1888 coexist with gloomy phantasmagoric images:

• "Yellow House" (Gele huis);
• "Gauguin's Armchair" (De stoel van Gauguin);
• "Cafe terrace at night" (Cafe terras bij nacht).

The dynamism, the movement of color, the energy of the master's brush is a reflection of the soul of the artist, his tragic quest, impulses to understand the world living and non-living:

• "Red Vineyards in Arles";
• "The Sower" (Zaaier);
• "Night Cafe" (Nachtkoffie).

The artist plans to establish a society that unites young geniuses who will reflect the future of mankind. To open the society, Vincent is helped by Theo's means. Van Gogh assigned the leading role to Paul Gauguin. When Gauguin arrived, they quarreled to the point that Van Gogh almost cut his throat on December 23, 1888. Gauguin managed to escape, and Van Gogh, repentant, cut off part of the lobe of his own ear.

Biographers evaluate this episode differently, many believe that this act was a sign of insanity, provoked by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. Van Gogh is sent to a mental hospital, where he is kept under strict conditions in the ward for violent lunatics. Gauguin leaves, Theo takes care of Vincent. After the course of treatment, Vincent dreams of returning to Arles. But the inhabitants of the city protested, and the artist was offered to settle next to the Saint-Paul hospital (Saint-Paul) in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (Saint-Rémy-de-Provence), near Arles.

Since May 1889, Van Gogh has been living in Saint-Remy, during the year he writes more than 150 large things and about 100 drawings and watercolors, demonstrating mastery of halftones and contrast techniques. Among them, the landscape genre prevails, still lifes that convey mood, contradictions in the author’s soul:

• "Starry Night" (Nightlights);
• "Landscape with olive trees" (Landschap met olijfbomen), etc.

In 1889, the fruits of Van Gogh's work were exhibited in Brussels, met with rave reviews from colleagues and critics. But Van Gogh does not feel joy from the recognition that has finally come, he moves to Auvers-sur-Oise, where his brother lives with his family. There he constantly creates, but the oppressed mood and nervous excitement of the author are transmitted to the canvases of 1890, they are distinguished by broken lines, distorted silhouettes of objects and persons:

• "Country road with cypress trees" (Landelijke weg met cipressen);
• "Landschap in Auvers after the rain" (Landschap in Auvers na de regen);
• "Wheat field with crows" (Korenveld met kraaien), etc.

On July 27, 1890, Van Gogh was mortally wounded by a pistol. It is not known whether the shot was planned or accidental, but the artist died a day later. He was buried in the same town, and 6 months later his brother Theo also died of nervous exhaustion, whose grave is located next to Vincent.

For 10 years of creativity, more than 2100 works have appeared, among which about 860 are made in oil. Van Gogh became the founder of expressionism, post-impressionism, his principles formed the basis of fauvism and modernism.

A series of triumphal exhibition events took place posthumously in Paris, Brussels, The Hague, Antwerp. At the beginning of the 20th century, another wave of shows of the works of the famous Dutchman took place in Paris, Cologne (Keulen), New York (New York), Berlin (Berlijn).

Paintings

It is not exactly known how many paintings Van Gogh painted, but art historians and researchers of his work tend to figure about 800. In the last 70 days of his life alone, he painted 70 paintings - one a day! Let's remember the most famous paintings with names and descriptions:

The Potato Eaters appeared in 1885 in Nuenen. The author described the task in a letter to Theo: he sought to show people of hard work who received little remuneration for their work. The hands that cultivate the field receive its gifts.

Red vineyards in Arles

The famous painting dates from 1888. The plot of the picture is not fictional, Vincent tells about it in one of the messages to Theo. On the canvas, the artist conveys the rich colors that struck him: thick red grape leaves, a piercing green sky, a bright purple road washed with rain with golden highlights from the rays of the setting sun. The colors seem to flow one into another, convey the author's anxious mood, his tension, the depth of philosophical reflections about the world. Such a plot will be repeated in the work of Van Gogh, symbolizing life eternally renewed in labor.

night cafe

"Night Café" appeared in Arles and presented the author's thoughts about a man who destroys his own life on his own. The idea of ​​self-destruction and a steady movement towards madness is expressed by the contrast of blood-burgundy and green colors. To try to penetrate the secrets of twilight life, the author worked on the painting at night. The expressionistic style of writing conveys the fullness of passions, anxiety, painfulness of life.

Van Gogh's legacy includes two series of works depicting sunflowers. In the first cycle - flowers laid out on the table, they were painted in the Parisian period in 1887 and soon acquired by Gauguin. The second series appeared in 1888/89 in Arles, on each canvas - sunflower flowers in a vase.

This flower symbolizes love and fidelity, friendship and warmth of human relationships, beneficence and gratitude. The artist expresses the depths of his worldview in sunflowers, associating himself with this sunny flower.

"Starry Night" was created in 1889 in Saint-Remy, it depicts the stars and the moon in dynamics, framed by a boundless sky, eternally existing and rushing in the infinity of the Universe. Located on foreground cypress trees strive to reach the stars, and the village in the valley is static, motionless and devoid of aspirations for the new and the infinite. The expression of color approaches and the use of different types of strokes conveys the multidimensionality of space, its variability and depth.

This famous self-portrait was created in Arles in January 1889. Interesting feature- a dialogue of red-orange and blue-violet colors, against which there is an immersion into the abyss of a distorted human consciousness. Attention attracts the face and eyes, as if looking deep into the personality. Self-portraits are the artist's conversation with himself and with the universe.

Almond Blossoms (Amandelbloesem) are created in Saint-Rémy in 1890. The spring flowering of almond trees is a symbol of renewal, of a born and growing life. The uniqueness of the canvas lies in the fact that the branches hover without a foundation, they are self-sufficient and beautiful.

This portrait was painted in 1890. Bright colors convey the significance of every moment, brush work creates a dynamic image of man and nature, which are inextricably linked. The image of the hero of the picture is painful and nervous: we peer at the image of a sad old man, immersed in his thoughts, as if he had absorbed the painful experience of years.

"Wheat Field with Crows" was created in July 1890 and expresses the feeling of approaching death, the hopeless tragedy of life. The picture is filled with symbolism: the sky before a thunderstorm, approaching black birds, roads leading to the unknown, but inaccessible.

Museum

(Van Gogh Museum) opened in Amsterdam in 1973 and presents not only the most fundamental collection of his creations, but also the work of the Impressionists. It is the first in popularity Exhibition Center in the Netherlands.

Quotes

1. Among the clergy, as among the masters of the brush, despotic academicism reigns, dull and full of prejudice;
2. Thinking about future hardships and hardships, I could not create;
3. Painting is my joy and comfort, giving me the opportunity to escape from life's troubles;