Vincent van Gogh is a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who had a huge impact on 20th century painting. Today, his work is valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.

During his life, he never received recognition in society, and became known only after committing suicide at the age of 37.

Less than 2 years later, Vincent van Gogh decided to quit school and move back home. He himself called his childhood "gloomy, cold and empty", which, undoubtedly, was reflected in his subsequent biography.

Creative biography

At the age of 15, Vincent begins to work in a solid art and trading company "Goupil & Cie", owned by his uncle.

talking modern language, he did the work of a dealer, in which he was successful. He was well versed in painting and often visited different galleries.

However, work in the company does not bring joy to Van Gogh. Having fallen into a deep depression, he writes several letters to his brother Theodorus, in which he talks about his loneliness and helplessness.

Some biographers believe that Vincent suffered from unrequited love, but there is no reliable information on this subject.

In the end, Van Gogh was fired from Goupil & Cie.

Missionary activity

In 1877, an important event occurs in the biography of Van Gogh: he decides to enter the university at the faculty of theology. For this, he moves to live with his uncle Johannes.

After he successfully passes his exams and becomes a university student, Vincent becomes disillusioned with his studies. Realizing his mistake, he gives up everything and begins to engage in missionary work.

Van Gogh at 18

Van Gogh is lit up with a new idea: he preaches the Gospel to the poor, teaches children, and also teaches the Law of God in the Borinage, which was mainly inhabited by miners with their families.

To provide himself with the essentials, Vincent draws maps of Palestine at night. In general, it must be said that in the biography of Van Gogh there are many examples of almost painful dedication.

Gradually, the missionary gained respect among the people, as a result of which he was assigned a salary of 50 francs.

AT given period biographies Vincent led a very modest life and repeatedly defended the rights of workers.

Soon he began to irritate the officials, so he was removed from his post as a preacher. This turn of affairs was a real blow to Van Gogh.

Becoming an artist Van Gogh

Being depressed, Vincent van Gogh begins to paint. For a time he even attended the Academy fine arts, however, not seeing any benefit for himself, he abandoned it.

After that, he continued to paint, relying only on his own experience.

During this period of biography, Van Gogh falls in love with his cousin However, she does not reciprocate his feelings. As a result, he leaves with a broken heart for The Hague, where he continues to paint.

One of Vincent van Gogh's most famous self-portraits, 1889

There, Van Gogh learns to draw from Anton Mauve, and in free time makes walks in the poor quarters of the city. In the future, the artist will be able to capture everything he sees in his masterpieces.

Watching the technique of different masters, Van Gogh begins to experiment with shades and styles of painting. However, he continues to be tormented by endless thoughts about starting a family.

Once he met a woman who had several children, and soon invited her to move into his house. Then he felt real happiness, which, however, did not last long.

The temper and heavy temper of the cohabitant made Van Gogh's life unbearable. As a result, he broke up with this woman and went north. His dwelling was a hut in which he lived and painted landscapes.

After some time, the artist returns home and continues to paint. In his paintings, he often depicts ordinary people and urban landscapes.

Parisian period

In 1886, there were big changes again in Van Gogh's biography: he decides to leave for. Then in this city there were many artists with a new vision of art. There he met his brother Theo, who was already the head of the gallery.

Van Gogh soon visited several exhibitions of the Impressionists, who sought to capture the world in its dynamics. During this period, Vincent is supported by his brother, who took care of him in every possible way and introduced him to various artists.

After receiving new sensations, there is a creative upsurge in the biography of Van Gogh. In Paris, he manages to paint about 230 paintings in which he experiments with technique and colors. As a result, his canvases become lighter and brighter.

While walking around Paris, Van Gogh meets the owner of a cafe, Agostina Segatori. Soon he paints a portrait of her.

Then Vincent begins to sell his work along with other little-known artists.

He often gets into arguments with colleagues, criticizing their work. Realizing that no one is interested in his work, he decides to leave Paris.

Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin

In February 1888, Vincent van Gogh moved to Provence, with whom he fell in love at first sight. He receives 250 francs a month from his brother, thanks to which he can rent a hotel room and eat well.

During this period of biography, Van Gogh often works on the street, depicting night landscapes on his canvases. That is how it was written famous painting « Starlight Night over the Rhone.

After some time, Van Gogh manages to meet Paul Gauguin (see), from whose work he was delighted. They even begin to live together, constantly talking about the great meaning.

However, misunderstandings soon appear in their relationship, which often end in quarrels.

Van Gogh cuts off his ear

On the evening of December 23, 1888, perhaps the most famous event takes place in the artist's biography: he cuts off his ear. Actions unfolded as follows.

Self-portrait with bandaged ear and pipe, Vincent van Gogh, 1889

After another quarrel with Paul Gauguin, Van Gogh pounced on a friend with a razor in his hands. Gauguin accidentally managed to stop Vincent.

The whole truth about this quarrel and the circumstances of the attack is still unknown, but on the same night, Van Gogh cut off his earlobe, wrapped it in paper and sent it to the prostitute Rachel.

According to the generally accepted version, this was done in a fit of remorse, but some researchers believe that this was not remorse, but a manifestation of insanity caused by the frequent use of absinthe (a drink containing 70% alcohol).

The next day, December 24, Van Gogh was taken to the psychiatric hospital of Saint-Remy, where the attack was repeated with such force that the doctors placed him in the ward for violent patients.

Gauguin hurriedly left the city, not visiting Van Gogh in the hospital, but informing his brother Theo about what had happened.

Personal life

A number of van Gogh biographers believe that the reasons mental illness Van Gogh could become complicated relationship with women. He repeatedly made proposals to different girls, but he constantly received refusals.

There was a case when he promised to hold his palm over the flame of a candle until the girl agreed to become his wife.

With his act, he shocked the chosen one, and also angered her father, who, without hesitation, threw the artist out of the house.

Van Gogh's sexual dissatisfaction seriously affected his psyche and led to the fact that he began to like ugly mature prostitutes. With one of them, he began to live in his house, taking her along with her five-year-old daughter.

Having lived like this for about a year, Vincent van Gogh painted several paintings with his beloved. An interesting fact is that because of her, the artist was forced to be treated for gonorrhea.

However, then more and more quarrels began to occur between them, which, ultimately, led to parting.

After that, Van Gogh was a frequent guest of brothels, as a result of which he was treated for various sexually transmitted diseases.

Death

While in the hospital, Van Gogh could continue to paint his paintings. This is how the famous canvases “Starry Night” and “Road with Cypresses and a Star” appeared.

It is worth noting that his state of health was very variable. Feeling good, he could suddenly become depressed. One day, during one of his seizures, Vincent ate his paints.

Theo still tried to support his brother. In 1890, he put up for sale his painting "Red Vineyards in Arles", which was subsequently bought for 400 francs.

When Vincent van Gogh found out about this, his joy knew no bounds. An interesting fact is that it was the only painting sold during the life of the artist.

Red Vineyards at Arles, Vincent van Gogh, 1888

In the next period of his biography, Van Gogh still continues to eat paint, so his brother arranges for his treatment at the clinic of Dr. Gachet. It is worth noting that good, and even friendly relations have developed between the patient and the doctor.

Literally a month later, the treatment gave its results, as a result of which Gachet allowed Vincent to go to visit his brother.

However, having met Theo, Van Gogh did not feel the attention due to his person, because at that time Theo had financial difficulties, and his daughter was seriously ill.

Offended and offended, the artist returns to the hospital.

July 27, 1890 Vincent van Gogh shot himself in the chest with a revolver, and as if nothing had happened, went to bed, lighting his pipe. It seemed that the wound did not give him any pain.

Gachet immediately informed his brother about the crossbow, and Theo immediately arrived. Wanting to reassure Vincent, Theo said that he would definitely get better, to which Van Gogh uttered the phrase: "Sorrow will last forever."

Two days later, on July 29, 1890, Vincent van Gogh died at the age of 37. He was buried in small town Mary.

Interestingly, after six months, Van Gogh's brother, Theodorus, also passed away.

Photo by Van Gogh

At the end, you can see some photos of Van Gogh's portraits. All of them are made by him, that is, they are self-portraits.

Since the master's biography is really oversaturated with interesting facts, I would like to structure my story into two parts. The first covers the story of how Vincent van Gogh became famous, and the second will be the usual selection of amusing incidents and events from the life of the great artist. The material is not a biographical presentation, it contains the most interesting moments and situations from the life of the artist.

Invaluable correspondence with his brother

The biography of the great artist is rich in interesting facts, he himself told about most of them in correspondence with his brother Theo. Thanks to these priceless letters, we know what kind of person Vincent van Gogh was. A total of 903 letters have been preserved during their communication from 1872 to 1890. Remarkably, after Vincent started painting, he illustrated almost every one of his letters. Thus, the artist demonstrated how the work was going, in addition, he told in detail what colors were present in the picture. For art, this is a phenomenal phenomenon when all the interesting facts about van Gogh are described in his own letters. The level of frankness of the correspondence is so high that Vincent talked about all his illnesses, including impotence.

Theodore was sensitive to correspondence with his brother, saving 820 letters. What can not be said about Vincent, only 83 letters were found in his things, this is a very small number, given that their dialogue lasted for 18 years. This is due to the frequent moves of the artist, inconstancy and a generally windy lifestyle.

The woman who started

Let's start from the end, since the mass distribution of Vincent's work began only after his death. Meet Theodore's wife Johanna. At 29, she was left a widow with a small child in her arms. From the material property she had an apartment in Paris, 200 paintings and hundreds of drawings by Vincent, a dozen unsold paintings by other French artists.

Johanna Gezina van Gogh-Bonger

After the sale of the apartment, she returned to Holland, stopped near Amsterdam, and opened her own small business there. Soon she married Dutch artist, who fully supported her idea of ​​​​popularizing the work of Vincent van Gogh. She made connections with friends of her late husband, organized exhibitions and presentations. I collected letters from the brothers' correspondence from all corners, and began to translate them into English language. By the way, by education, Johanna was a teacher of foreign languages, so she was engaged in preparing for publication on her own. Unfortunately, in 1912 she became a widow for the second time. After that, she changed her last name back to van Gogh, and transported Theodore's body from Holland to Vincent's grave in France. On the grave she planted a branch of ivy, which she took nearby, in the garden of Dr. Gachet. In the same year organized big presentation Van Gogh's work in Berlin. This city was not chosen by chance - they already knew about the artist there. The German writer and connoisseur of art, Julius Meyer-Grefe, tried to do this.

The creators of the romantic story of Vincent van Gogh

Julius Meyer-Graefe.

As soon as Western Europe began to talk about van Gogh, the art historian and writer Julius Meyer-Graefe immediately interested brilliant artist. After the translation of the brothers' correspondence fell into his hands, he realized that this could be used to promote big story. In 1920-1921 he published a series of several books dedicated to the life of the artist and his friends. These books told the whole world about the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists of France in the late nineteenth century. Julius was immediately dubbed a connoisseur of van Gogh, and on this wave he began to buy and then sell his paintings, writing out certificates of authenticity.

In the mid-20s, a certain Otto Wacker, he assured Julius that he had a unique collection paintings by van Gogh. Julius tasting big money, even believed in the fairy tale that these paintings were bought from a mysterious Russian aristocrat. It is worth noting that these canvases really well repeated the style of the master, so it was difficult to distinguish them from the original. But soon people began to have doubts, and since it was a tidy sum, the police also became interested in this case. During the checks, a studio was discovered, in which they found several still wet Van Goghs. Oddly enough, he was involved in this Otto Wacker. Soon a trial took place, where Otto received 19 months in prison and a huge fine. Since Julius Meyer-Graefe sold fakes without malicious intent, he got off with a heavy fine, but his name was completely discredited. At this point, Johanna had already died, her son was not yet 20 years old, and Julius had lost respect, so no one was actively involved in the promotion of van Gogh.

Irving Stone "Lust for Life"

When the scandal with fakes subsided, the story of the insane artist took American writer Jewish origin Irving Stone (Tennenbaum) he wrote a novel "Lust for Life". This book, for various reasons, was rejected by 17 editions, but it still managed to be released in 1934. The writer himself has repeatedly stated that all the dialogues are fictional, but basically they correspond to the motives of reality. You need to understand that he planned to release a bestseller, so he did not pursue historical accuracy at all. Based on this novel, 22 years later, they removed Hollywood movie, which was nominated for an Oscar four times, and received it once. Interesting Facts from life were deliberately replaced with fictional ones in order to give the story a more dramatic and cinematic character.

It was from this moment that the story of Vincent van Gogh was historically misinterpreted. After the movie was released, most people referred to the book. "I crave life", on which an Oscar-winning film was shot, and not on a genuine, but "boring" correspondence between two brothers.

1. Wanted to become a priest like his father and grandfather

"Still life with the Bible" 1885.

All children in their family from the very early age a love of religion was instilled, since the father of the family was a priest. In his youth, Vincent wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, but to get the dignity, it was necessary to study at the seminary for five years. By nature, he was an impulsive person, and it seemed to him that it was too long and unproductive. I decided to enroll in an intensive course at an evangelical school. This course lasted three years, including a six-month missionary in a mining town. AT last month living under terrible conditions, he realized that religion is not able to help in really difficult situations.

During his sermon, which he worked on for a long time, the miners did not listen to him at all. Unfortunately, he understood these people, and he knew that his words would not make their slave working conditions any less difficult. Upon his return to Holland, he did not enroll in an evangelical school. He came to his father and told about his thoughts on this matter, and that he no longer believes in the god he had read so much about. Naturally, they quarreled strongly on this basis, and never spoke again. A few years later, after Vincent learned of his father's death, he painted a still life with a Bible and sent it to Theo.

2. Started drawing at a late age

Vincent van Gogh "Burning Grass" 1883.

From whatever angle you look, but van Gogh started painting very late, but very intensively, and under supervision knowledgeable people. In this he was helped by the best textbooks from all over Europe, the artist Anton Mauve from The Hague, who was his relative. In addition, the experience that he gained during many years of trading in paintings in different cities of Europe came in handy. He entered two different Academy of Arts, but several months passed, and he quit his studies without regret. He wrote to his brother that academic painting no longer attracted him, and the knowledge of the old masters would not help him realize his plans as an artist. During this period, he was a great admirer of Jean-Francois Millet, and copied a huge number of his paintings.

3. Sold a lot more than one painting

"Red Vineyards in Arles"

It is believed that he and his brother allegedly sold only one painting, "Red Vineyards in Arles." This is far from the case, during the life of the van Goghs managed to sell fourteen of his paintings, while two still lifes with sunflowers were bought by Vincent's friend Paul Gauguin. If we return to the "red vineyards", then this is really the only painting that was sold for big money. This generous buyer was the famous artist and philanthropist Anna Bosch, the purchase took place at a major exhibition of the Impressionists. Anna Bosch knew about the difficult condition of the artist at that time. He was once in the hospital, and she wanted to support him in this way. After Vincent's death, she acquired another of his paintings, but a few years later sold both canvases at exorbitant prices.

4. A business plan was developed for the sale of paintings

Two brothers in their youth, Vincent on the left.

Do not be surprised, because Vincent worked in galleries for a long time, and sold paintings to wealthy people. Accordingly, he knew the popular genres and styles that sell best. And Theodore owned his own art gallery in the center of Paris, and also understood how to earn decent money on painting. After Vincent's arrival in Paris, he became acquainted with a new genre for himself - impressionism. He talked a lot with artists who worked in this genre, but soon, due to his quick temper, he quarreled with almost everyone. The brothers decided to work in the field of interior painting, which was focused on middle class. During that period, all sunflowers were painted, and a large number of vases with flowers. But work in this direction was stopped by the very attack that led to Vincent cutting off his earlobe and putting him in a psychiatric hospital.

5 Van Gogh's Severed Ear

"Self-portrait with cut off ear and pipe" 1888.

This is probably the most popular misconception, so I want to say the following: Vincent van Gogh didn't cut off his ear, but only cut off part of the lobe. After this action, he went to a brothel in which they often rested with Gauguin. The door was opened to him by a young lady who worked there, Vincent told her: "Take care of this treasure." After that, he turned around and went home, went up to the second floor and went to bed. Interestingly, if he cut off his whole ear, he would simply die from blood loss, because he was discovered only ten hours later. This case is described in more detail in the material that I published earlier: Why did van Gogh cut off his ear? Everything is described in detail with the preservation of chronology and causal relationship.

6. All his life he was supported by his brother

Theodor van Gogh

As soon as Vincent decided to become an artist, his brother Theo immediately began to support him. Every month he sent money, it most often went to three things: materials, food, and rent. When unforeseen expenses appeared, Vincent asked to send more, describing in detail the reason. When the artist lived in places where it was difficult to get paints and canvases, he made a whole list, and Theo sent him huge parcels in response. Vincent was not ashamed to ask for money, because in return he sent finished paintings, which he called a commodity. The brother kept Vincent's paintings at home, where he brought potential clients, connoisseurs of art and collectors, to try to sell at least something.

But at that time it was impossible to earn a lot on such pictures, so he actually kept Vincent. Every month he sent 200 francs, in order to roughly understand what kind of money it is, I’ll say that Vincent paid 15-20 francs per month for housing, and good book anatomy cost 3 francs. Here is another good example: the postman, who became famous as a friend of Vincent, received a salary of 100 francs, and with this money he supported a family of four.

7. Recognition came after death

"Starry Night" in the museum

Vincent was known to all serious French artists since 1886, and to the best of their ability, they followed his work. It was impossible not to know about the artist, whose brother owns a large painting salon in the center of Paris. Theo's apartment - was a personal exhibition of Vincent's paintings for 5 years, all local artists of those years visited there, including Claude Monet himself. By the way, at the exhibition of 1888, Monet very positively assessed the "Starry Night", calling it the best picture display.

Interesting facts do not end there: the popularization of the van Gogh family in Holland was carried out by his relative, famous artist landscape painter Anton Mauve. Anton, in turn, was familiar with one of the best landscape painters in Holland, Johann Hendrik Weissenbruch. They even had a meeting where they discussed Vincent's talent. As a result, they agreed that the guy really has potential and he can reach great heights. When Vincent found out about this news, he finally realized that he would become an artist, and from that moment he began to paint one picture or drawing a day.

8. Terrible state of health

"Still life with absinthe" 1887.

It is difficult to imagine that people in those days did not even know about the catastrophic harmfulness of absinthe. France in those days was the capital of absinthe, it was inexpensive and very popular among creative people. Vincent was incredibly fond of this drink, and dedicated a neat still life of a portrait look to it. The situation was further aggravated by smoking, for the last 10 years of his life, he did not part with his pipe. In letters to his brother, he said that in this way he satisfies the hunger that haunted him constantly. This way of life gave its generous "results".

Diseases of Vincent van Gogh:

• bipolar affective disorder;
• Affective insanity;
• borderline personality disorder;
• Sunstroke;
• Meniere's disease;
• lead poisoning;
• Acute intermittent porphyria;
• Syphilis;
• Gonorrhea;
• Impotence;
• Lost more than 15 teeth.

About half of the sores he told his brother, the rest was taken from the medical records of hospitals. He received venereal diseases from his common-law wife, who was a prostitute. After they separated, Vincent spent two weeks in the hospital, but did not blame his wife for anything. ex love. The teeth quickly deteriorated from absinthe and smoking, which is why there are no self-portraits of van Gogh where his teeth would be visible. Lead poisoning came from white paints, by the way, nowadays lead white is recognized as highly toxic, banned, and no longer manufactured.

9. Worked only with the best materials of those times

Fragment from the picture

The brothers were very well versed in art goods, as they were closely in the medium of painting. Due to the fact that Vincent used only high-quality paints, his paintings are so well preserved to this day. AT online museum from Google, you can examine any picture in detail, every stroke is visible on it, evaluate its purity and brightness. These paintings are over a hundred years old, and they look like new, just a few cracked. Remarkably, he himself never created oil paint from pigments, and bought only ready-made in tubes. In contrast to his friend, Paul Gauguin, who was an adherent of the old approach to the manufacture of art materials.

10. Death of Vincent van Gogh

The last picture of the master. Fields with dark clouds.

It is erroneously assumed that it latest work is "Wheat Field with Crows". In 1890, Theodore's entire family fell ill, most importantly - including the baby. In this regard, he had less time for Vincent, and the brothers began to gradually move away from each other. Theo sent him money less and less, and described in detail how difficult it was for him. Vincent often thought about suicide in the last year of his life, and was deeply disappointed by how bad things were going for them. One day he decided that the game was not worth the candle, and as if he had become too much of a burden.

Nowadays, few people do not know about the great artist Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh's biography was destined to be not too long, but eventful and full of hardships, brief ups and desperate falls. Few people know that in his entire life Vincent managed to sell only one of his paintings for a significant amount, and only after his death did his contemporaries recognize the enormous influence of the Dutch post-impressionist on the painting of the 20th century. The biography of Van Gogh can be briefly summarized in the dying words of the great master:

The sadness will never end.

Unfortunately, the life of an amazing and original creator was full of pain and disappointment. But who knows, maybe, if not for all the losses in life, the world would never have seen his amazing works, which people still admire?

Childhood

A brief biography and work of Vincent van Gogh was restored through the efforts of his brother Theo. Vincent had almost no friends, so everything we now know about the great artist was told by a man who loved him immensely.

Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in North Brabant in the village of Grot-Zundert. Theodore and Anna Cornelia Van Gogh's first-born child died in infancy - Vincent became the eldest child in the family. Four years after the birth of Vincent, his brother Theodorus was born, with whom Vincent was close until the end of his life. In addition, they also had a brother Cornelius and three sisters (Anna, Elisabeth and Willemina).

An interesting fact in the biography of Van Gogh is that he grew up as a difficult and stubborn child with extravagant manners. At the same time, outside the family, Vincent was serious, gentle, thoughtful and calm. He did not like to communicate with other children, but his fellow villagers considered him a modest and friendly child.

In 1864 he was sent to a boarding school in Zevenbergen. The artist Van Gogh recalled this segment of his biography with pain: the departure caused him a lot of suffering. This place doomed him to loneliness, so Vincent took up his studies, but already in 1868 he left his studies and returned home. In fact, this is all the formal education that the artist managed to receive.

A brief biography and work of Van Gogh is still carefully kept in museums and a few testimonies: no one could have thought that an unbearable child would become a truly great creator - even if his significance was recognized only after his death.

Work and missionary activity

A year after returning home, Vincent goes to work in the Hague branch of his uncle's art and trading company. In 1873 Vincent was transferred to London. Over time, Vinset learned to appreciate painting and understand it. He later moves to 87 Hackford Road, where he rents a room with Ursula Leuer and her daughter Eugenie. Some biographers add that Van Gogh was in love with Eugenia, although the facts say that he loved the German Karlina Haanebiek.

In 1874, Vincent was already working in the Paris branch, but soon he returned to London. Things are getting worse for him: a year later he is again transferred to Paris, visits art museums and exhibitions, and finally gains the courage to try his hand at painting. Vincent cools off to work, fired up with a new business. All this leads to the fact that in 1876 he was fired from the company for poor performance.

Then in the biography of Vincent van Gogh there comes a moment when he returns to London again and teaches at a boarding school in Ramsgate. In the same life period, Vincent devoted a lot of time to religion, he has a desire to become a pastor, following in the footsteps of his father. A little later, Van Gogh moved to another school in Isleworth, where he began to work as a teacher and assistant pastor. Vincent gave his first sermon there. Interest in writing grew, he was inspired by the idea of ​​preaching to the poor.

At Christmas, Vincent went home, where he was begged not to go back to England. So he stayed in the Netherlands to help in a bookshop in Dordrecht. But this work did not inspire him: he mainly occupied himself with sketches and translations of the Bible.

His parents supported Van Gogh's desire to become a priest by sending him to Amsterdam in 1877. There he settled with his uncle Jan van Gogh. Vincent studied hard under the supervision of Johannes Stricker, a famous theologian, preparing for the exams for admission to the theology department. But very soon he quits classes and leaves Amsterdam.

The desire to find his place in the world led him to Pastor Bokma's Protestant Missionary School in Laeken near Brussels, where he took a course in preaching. There is also an opinion that Vincent did not complete the full course, because he was expelled due to his untidy appearance, quick temper and fits of anger.

In 1878, Vincent became a missionary for six months in the village of Paturazh in the Borinage. Here he visited the sick, read the Scriptures for those who could not read, taught children, and at night he was engaged in drawing maps of Palestine, earning a living. Van Gogh planned to enter the Gospel School, but he considered the tuition fees to be discrimination and abandoned this idea. Soon he was removed from the priesthood - this was a painful blow for the future artist, but also an important fact of Van Gogh's biography. Who knows, perhaps, if not for this high-profile event, Vincent would have become a priest, and the world would never have known the talented artist.

Becoming an artist

Studying a brief biography of Vincent van Gogh, we can conclude that fate seemed to push him all his life in the right direction and led him to drawing. Seeking salvation from despondency, Vincent again turns to painting. He turns to his brother Theo for support and in 1880 goes to Brussels, where he attends classes at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. A year later, Vincent is forced to leave school again and return to his family. It was then that he decided that the artist does not need any talent, the main thing is to work hard and tirelessly. Therefore, he continues painting and drawing on his own.

During this period, Vincent experiences a new love, this time addressed to his cousin, the widow Kay Vos-Stricker, who was visiting the Van Goghs' house. But she did not reciprocate, but Vincent continued to court her, which caused the indignation of her relatives. In the end, he was told to leave. Van Gogh is experiencing another shock and refuses to try to establish a further personal life.

Vincent leaves for The Hague, where he takes lessons from Anton Mauve. Over time, the biography and work of Vincent van Gogh was filled with new colors, including in painting: he experimented with mixing different techniques. Then such works of his as “Backyards” were born, which he created with the help of chalk, pen and brush, as well as the painting “Roofs. View from Van Gogh's workshop, painted in watercolor and chalk. A great influence on the formation of his work was influenced by the book of Charles Bargue "Drawing Course", lithographs from which he diligently copied.

Vincent was a man of fine mental organization, and, one way or another, he was drawn to people and emotional returns. Despite his decision to forget about his personal life, in The Hague, he nevertheless again attempted to create a family. He met Christine right on the street and was so imbued with her plight that he invited her to settle in his house with the children. This act finally severed Vincent's relationship with all his relatives, but they maintained a warm relationship with Theo. So Vincent got a girlfriend and a model. But Christine turned out to be a nightmare character: Van Gogh's life turned into a nightmare.

When they parted, the artist went north to the province of Drenthe. He equipped a dwelling for a workshop, and spent whole days outdoors, creating landscapes. But the artist himself did not call himself a landscape painter, dedicating his paintings to the peasants and their everyday life.

Van Gogh's early works are classified as realism, but his technique does not quite fit into this direction. One of the problems that Van Gogh faced in his work is the inability to correctly depict the human figure. But this only played into the hands of the great artist: it became feature his manners: the interpretation of man as an integral part of the world around him. This is clearly seen, for example, in the work "Peasant and Peasant Woman Planting Potatoes". Human figures are like mountains in the distance, and the elevated horizon seems to press on them from above, preventing them from straightening their backs. A similar device can be seen in his later work "Red Vineyards".

In this segment of his biography, Van Gogh writes a series of works, including:

• "Exit from the Protestant Church in Nuenen";
• "Potato Eaters";
• "Peasant Woman";
• "The Old Church Tower at Nuenen".

The paintings are created in dark shades, which symbolize the author's painful perception of human suffering and a feeling of general depression. Van Gogh depicted the heavy atmosphere of hopelessness of the peasants and the sad mood of the village. At the same time, Vincent formed his own understanding of landscapes: in his opinion, the state of mind of a person is expressed through the landscape through the connection of human psychology and nature.

Parisian period

The artistic life of the French capital is flourishing: it was there that the great artists of that time flocked. A landmark event was the exhibition of the Impressionists on the rue Lafitte: for the first time, the works of Signac and Seurat, who proclaimed the beginning of the post-impressionism movement, are shown. It was impressionism that revolutionized art, changing the approach to painting. This trend presented a confrontation with academicism and outdated subjects: pure colors and the very impression of what they saw, which are later transferred to the canvas, are at the head of creativity. Post-Impressionism was the final stage of Impressionism.

The Parisian period, lasting from 1986 to 1988, became the most fruitful in the life of the artist, his collection of paintings was replenished with more than 230 drawings and canvases. Vincent van Gogh forms his own view of art: the realistic approach is becoming a thing of the past, giving way to the desire for post-impressionism.

With the acquaintance with Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet, the colors in his paintings begin to lighten and become brighter and brighter, eventually becoming a real riot of colors, characteristic of his latest works.

The iconic place was papa Tanga's shop, where they sold art materials. Here many artists met and exhibited their work. But Van Gogh's temper was still irreconcilable: the spirit of rivalry and tension in society often drove the impulsive artist out of himself, so Vincent soon quarreled with friends and decided to leave the French capital.

Among famous works the Parisian period the following paintings:

• "Agostina Segatori at the Tambourine Café";
• "Daddy Tanguy";
• "Still life with absinthe";
• "Bridge over the Seine";
• "View of Paris from Theo's apartment on Rue Lepic."

Provence

Vincent goes to Provence and is imbued with this atmosphere for the rest of his life. Theo supports his brother's decision to become a real artist and sends him money to live on, and he sends him his paintings in gratitude in the hope that his brother will be able to sell them profitably. Van Gogh settles in a hotel where he lives and creates, periodically inviting random visitors or acquaintances to pose.

With the onset of spring, Vincent gets out into the street and draws blooming trees and living nature. The ideas of impressionism gradually leave his work, but remain in the form of a light palette and pure colors. During this period of his work, Vincent writes "The Peach Tree in Blossom", "The Anglois Bridge in Arles".

Van Gogh even worked at night, once imbued with the idea of ​​capturing the special night shades and the glow of the stars. He works by candlelight: this is how the famous "Starry Night over the Rhone" and "Night Café" were created.

severed ear

Vincent is inspired by the idea of ​​creating a common home for the artist, where creators could create their masterpieces while living and working together. important event is the arrival of Paul Gauguin, with whom Vincent had a long correspondence. Together with Gauguin, Vincent writes works filled with passion:

• "Yellow House";
• "Harvest. Valley of La Crau;
• "Armchair of Gauguin".

Vincent was beside himself with happiness, but this union ends in a loud quarrel. Passions were running high, and in one of his desperate cloudings, Van Gogh, according to some reports, attacks a friend with a razor in his hands. Gauguin manages to stop Vincent, and in the end he cuts off his earlobe. Gauguin leaves his house, while he wrapped the bloody flesh in a napkin and handed it to a familiar prostitute named Rachel. In a pool of his own blood, he was found by his friend Roulin. Although the wound soon healed, the deep mark on the heart shook mental health Vincent for life. Vincent soon finds himself in a psychiatric hospital.

The heyday of creativity

During periods of remission, he asked to return to the workshop, but the inhabitants of Arles signed a statement to the mayor with a request to isolate the mentally ill artist from civilians. But in the hospital he was not forbidden to create: until 1889, Vincent worked on new paintings right there. During this time, he created over 100 pencil and watercolor drawings. The canvases of this period are distinguished by tension, vivid dynamics and contrasting contrasting colors:

• "Landscape with Olives";
• "Wheat field with cypresses".

At the end of the same year, Vincent was invited to participate in the G20 exhibition in Brussels. His works aroused great interest among connoisseurs of painting, but this could no longer please the artist, and even a laudatory article about the "Red Vineyards in Arles" did not make the exhausted Van Gogh happy.

In 1890, he moved to the Opera-sur-Ourze, near Paris, where he saw his family for the first time in a long time. He continued to write, but his style became more and more gloomy and oppressive. hallmark of that period became a curved and hysterical contour, which can be traced in the following works:

• "Street and stairs in Auvers";
• "Rural road with cypresses";
• "Landscape at Auvers after the rain".

Last years

The last bright memory in the life of the great artist was an acquaintance with Dr. Paul Gachet, who also loved to write. Friendship with him supported Vincent in the most difficult periods of his life - except for his brother, the postman Roulin and Dr. Gachet, by the end of his life, he had no close friends left.

In 1890, Vincent paints the canvas "Wheat Field with Crows", and a tragedy occurs a week later.

The circumstances of the death of the artist looks mysterious. Vincent was shot in the heart with his own revolver, which he carried with him to scare away birds. Dying, the artist admitted that he shot himself in the chest, but missed, hitting a little lower. He himself got to the hotel where he lived, he called the doctor. The doctor was skeptical about the version of a suicide attempt - the angle of entry of the bullet was suspiciously low, and the bullet did not go right through, which suggests that they shot as if from afar - or at least from a distance of a couple of meters. The doctor immediately called Theo - he arrived the next day and was next to his brother until his death.

There is a version that on the eve of Van Gogh's death, the artist seriously quarreled with Dr. Gachet. He accused him of insolvency, while his brother Theo is literally dying from a disease that eats him, but still sends him money to live. These words could have hurt Vincent greatly - after all, he himself felt great guilt before his brother. Moreover, in last years Vincent had feelings for the lady, which again did not lead to reciprocity. Being as depressed as possible, upset by a quarrel with a friend, having recently left the hospital, Vincent could well decide to commit suicide.

Vincent died July 30, 1890. Theo loved his brother infinitely and with great difficulty experienced this loss. He set about organizing an exhibition of Vincent's posthumous works, but less than a year later, he died of a severe nervous shock on January 25, 1891. Years later, Theo's widow reburied his remains next to Vincent: she felt that the inseparable brothers should be next to each other at least after death.

Confession

There is a widespread misconception that during his lifetime, Van Gogh was able to sell only one of his paintings - "Red Vineyards in Arles". This work was only the first, sold for a large amount - about 400 francs. Nevertheless, there are documents showing the sale of 14 more paintings.

Indeed, Vincent van Gogh received wide recognition only after his death. His commemorative exhibitions were organized in Paris, The Hague, Antwerp, Brussels. Interest in the artist began to grow, and at the beginning of the 20th century, retrospectives began in Amsterdam, Paris, New York, Cologne and Berlin. People began to be interested in his work, and his work began to influence the younger generation of artists.

Gradually, the prices of the painter's paintings began to increase until they became one of the most expensive paintings ever sold in the world, along with the works of Pablo Picasso. Among his most expensive works:

• "Portrait of Dr. Gachet";
• "Irises";
• "Portrait of the postman Joseph Roulin";
• "Wheat field with cypresses";
• "The Plowed Field and the Ploughman".

Influence

In his last letter to Theo, Vincent wrote that, having no children of his own, the artist perceived the paintings as his continuation. To some extent, this was true: he did have children, and the first of them was expressionism, which later began to have many heirs.

Many artists later adapted the features of Van Gogh's style to their work: Gowart Hodgkin, Willem de Kening, Jackson Pollock. Fauvism soon came, which expanded the scope of color, and expressionism became widespread.

The biography of Van Gogh and his work gave the expressionists a new language that helped the creators to delve deeper into the essence of things and the world around them. Vincent became, in a sense, a pioneer in modern art, blazing a new path in visual art.

It is almost impossible to tell a brief biography of Van Gogh: his work during his, unfortunately, short life, was influenced by so many different events that it would be a nightmarish injustice to omit even one of them. Heavy life path brought Vincent to the pinnacle of fame, but posthumous fame. During the lifetime great painter he did not know either about his own genius, or about the huge legacy that he left to the world of art, or about how his relatives and friends later yearned for him. Vincent led a lonely and sad life, rejected by everyone. He found salvation in art, but he could not be saved. But, one way or another, he gave the world a lot of amazing works that warm the hearts of people so far, so many years later.

Everyone knows Dutch painter. The difficult fate was reflected in his paintings, which became famous only after the death of the artist. He created over 200 paintings and over 500 drawings, carefully preserved by his brother, and later his wife and nephew, and devoted to the museum. Van Gogh lived a short life, but in his life there were many interesting stories that are passed down from generation to generation.

ear story

The most interesting story, which excites the minds of contemporaries, this is about severed ear. But it is reliably known that the artist cut off only his earlobe. What prompted him to do this? And how did it really happen? The most reliable version is that during a quarrel with the French painter Gauguin, Van Gogh attacked him with a razor. But Gauguin turned out to be more dodgy and managed to stop him.


The quarrel was over a woman, and a worried Van Gogh cut off his own earlobe that very night. The cut off earlobe was presented by the artist to this woman – she was a prostitute. This event occurred at the moment of insanity from the frequent use of absinthe - a tincture of bitter wormwood, with a large use of which hallucinations, aggressiveness, and a change in consciousness occur.

Two births of Van Gogh

The Dutch pastor had his first child in 1852, named Vincent, but he died a few weeks later. And a year later, on the day of March 30, 1953, a boy is born again, whom they also decide to call Vincent van Gogh.

Understanding life

Working in different places and constantly observing the hard lot of the poor, the son of a Protestant pastor decided to also become a priest and celebrate masses in favor of the poor. He helped the poor, cared for the sick, taught children, painted at night to earn money. The artist decided to write a petition for better working conditions for the poor, but he was refused. He realized that sermons play no role in the fight against the hard lot of the poor. The young priest leaves home, distributes all his savings to those in need, and as a result, he is deprived of the priesthood. All this was reflected in the mental state of the artist and later decided the whole fate of Van Gogh.

Van Gogh's inspiration

Van Gogh's inspiration was french artist millet, who in his paintings depicted the hard lot of the poor, their work and plight in society. Van Gogh painted from Millet's black and white drawings, conveying his gaze into them. The difference is that Van Gogh's paintings are bright, expressive, in contrast to the melancholic works of Millet. Van Gogh imagined the life of the poor, as they saw themselves, their attitude to work - this is what ensures their life, as a reverence for the hard lot that contributes to their existence. Their faces express gratitude to the land that gave the harvest. Gratitude to the harvest that now lies on their table.

Extraordinary vision of color

Van Gogh was able to mix colors on his canvases as no one else had done before him. He mixed warm colors with cold, basic with additional than achieved amazing effects. The main color of his paintings is yellow. Yellow field, yellow sun, yellow hat, yellow flowers. Yellow color expresses energy, uplift, creative inspiration. Surrounding himself with yellow, he tried to escape from life's troubles, paint life in bright colors. It is claimed that by drinking absinthe, a person sees the world as through a yellow prism. Perhaps that is why it yellow even brighter than regular yellow.
Yellow was combined with blue, purple, blue-black. A strange combination - combinations of madness.

Sunflowers in Van Gogh's painting

The artist created 10 paintings with sunflowers. They are in a vase: three, twelve, five, cut sunflowers, sunflowers with roses. 10 canvases have been proven to belong to the painter’s brush, another canvas has not been confirmed, they believe that this is a copy. It is known from letters to his brother that Van Gogh loved sunflowers and considered them his flowers. The yellow sunflower represents friendship and hope. He wanted to decorate the “yellow house” inside with them. Because there were very white walls, which he complained to his brother Theo.

friendship with brother

Van Gogh had five brothers and sisters, but he kept in touch and was friends only with his brother Theo. They corresponded and exchanged information. More than 900 letters from the artist have been found, and most of them are addressed to his brother. Theo helped him with money. At the time of a serious condition, he determined him to the clinic. He was with him and last days his life.

Attitude towards family life

Having experienced disappointments in love, Van Gogh decides for himself that the artist should devote himself to painting. And that's why he uses random connections.

"Starlight Night"

In a state of severe depression, the artist went to a psychiatric clinic, where a room was assigned to him. And there he painted his paintings. There he created one of the most recognizable paintings " Starlight Night". Characterizing the color scheme and the quality of the strokes, it is confirmed that the picture was painted by a person experiencing loneliness, vulnerable, with mood swings to the depressive. He painted the picture from memory, which is rare for his manner, and confirms his serious condition.

Painter's disease

Multiple Scientific research never gave a medical opinion about Van Gogh's illness. It was claimed that he was ill with epilepsy, or schizophrenia, but there is no medical confirmation of this. His aunt had epilepsy and his sister had schizophrenia. More and more confirmation finds the answer in the constant depression of the artist. He was oppressed by the hard work of the miners, he was worried about the hard lot of the plowmen, and that he could not help them in any way.

Van Gogh's suicide

Van Gogh committed suicide by shooting himself in the heart with a revolver. The bullet missed the heart, and he came home and went to bed. He lived for two more days and died at the age of 37, without waiting for the recognition of his work. During the funeral, only a few people walked behind the coffin.

Vincent van Gogh is a Dutch artist who has been searching for peace of mind all his life. Created more than 2100 paintings: landscapes, still lifes, portraits and self-portraits. He was strongly attached to his family and committed suicide. Read the biography of the artist, whose talent was appreciated only after his death.

Vincent van Gogh: a short biography

Posthumously famous artist Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in the province of Brabant, in the village of Grot-Zundert, Holland in the family of a pastor. The family, according to the memoirs of Van Gogh himself in notes to his brother Theo, was friendly. Vincent was mentally chained to his mother for the rest of his life. At a young age, this even caused the artist to quit his studies and return to his home.

He received his first general education together with his brother and sisters in his father's house.. The governess did not speak favorably of the future artist. In her opinion, something gloomy, abnormal and detached was read in Vincent. After entering a school in another city, he quickly leaves the educational institution and returns home. general education Vincent van Gogh didn't have . In 1869 he went to work in a company selling paintings. Presumably, during this period, Van Gogh showed a craving for painting. In 1873 moves to London due to promotion. The capital with its temptations, internal laws and innovations for a village boy radically changed the life of a young man. By career ladder the future master did not advance, and all the fault is love. Having fallen in love with the daughter of the landlady, he quickly forgets about everything. The young lady was betrothed to another and this was the first blow in the life of Vincent van Gogh. In the future, the theme of love flashes more than once on the map of the artist's life, but, looking ahead, he sought solace already on the breasts of prostitutes.

In 1875 he went to Paris, a dirty and depraved city at that time, which absorbed the soul of the artist. A period of desperate search for oneself begins. The creative side of Paris brought Van Gogh to a circle of eminent artists. He develops a close friendship with Gauguin. It is with this man that the episode with the cut off ear in the life of Van Gogh is connected. In 1877 he returned to his native Netherlands., tries to find solace in religion, starting training as a priest, but soon parted with this idea - the theological situation at the faculty in Amsterdam, where Van Gogh entered, did not suit the rebellious spirit of the creator at all.

In 1886 he returned to Paris again, settling with his brother Theo, who by that time was already married. Birth of a nephew, also named Vincent, and then his sudden death, became another trigger that awakened the mental illness of the author of the famous "Sunflowers". Despite the fact that Van Gogh's paintings are oversaturated bright colors, life was dirty, vicious and gloomy: he repeatedly had sexual intercourse with prostitutes, was rejected by women with whom he was madly in love (cousin Kay Vos), ignored among famous masters of the brush and constant quarrels with Gauguin.

Settles in Arles in 1888. Residents reacted with tension to the move of the crazy artist, continuing the chain of social conflicts of Van Gogh. After Van Gogh in an attack cut off a part of the left care and, according to the stories, gave it to Gauguin's favorite prostitute, with whom he also shared a bed, spent several weeks in a psychiatric hospital. I got back to the department a year later, when hallucinations appeared. In 1890 he went to Paris, feeling healthy, but the disease returned again. On July 27, 1890, Vincent van Gogh shot himself in the chest with a pistol. dying in the arms of his brother. Buried in the Cemetery of Auvers.

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