Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter who lived from 1853 to 1890. He is one of the most famous artists in history. He created bright, swirling paintings full of bold color and thick brushstrokes. Almost no one bought his work while he was alive. After his death, the world slowly came to love it.

Van Gogh grew up in a small town in the Netherlands. His father was a pastor. As a young man, Vincent tried many jobs. He worked at an art shop, taught school, and even trained to be a preacher. None of these jobs lasted. He did not start painting seriously until he was 27 years old.

Once he started, he never stopped. In just 10 years, he made about 2,100 artworks. That includes around 860 oil paintings. Most of them came in the last two years of his life. Few artists in history have worked that fast.

His early paintings were dark and gloomy. They showed poor farmers and workers. Then in 1886, he moved to Paris and met other young artists. He saw the bright colors of the Impressionists. His own style changed quickly. He began using yellows, blues, and greens straight from the tube. He laid the paint on thick, in short curving strokes you can still see today.

In 1888, he moved to the south of France. The sunlight there amazed him. He painted sunflowers, wheat fields, cafés at night, and his small yellow house. He hoped other artists would join him and start an art colony. Only one came: a painter named Paul Gauguin. The two argued bitterly. After one fight, van Gogh cut off part of his own ear.

For most of his adult life, van Gogh struggled with mental illness. Doctors today still debate what condition he had. Some think it was a form of bipolar disorder. Others suggest epilepsy or other illnesses. He spent time in a mental hospital in a town called Saint-Rémy. There, looking out his window at night, he painted The Starry Night. It is now one of the most famous paintings in the world.

Van Gogh died in 1890 at age 37, from a gunshot wound. Most historians believe he shot himself, though a few argue he may have been shot by accident. His brother Theo had supported him for years, sending money and paint. Theo died only six months later. Theo's wife, Johanna, saved Vincent's paintings and letters. She worked hard to share them with the world. Without her, we might not know his name today.