Vincent Van Gogh Blog Post #5

     Vincent Van Gogh was born in 1853 and died in 1890. He was a son of the Dutch reformed minister and a bookseller's daughter. Van Gogh started painting at the age of twenty- seven. Before this career he was an art dealer and a clergyman. He wanted to become a pastor in the Dutch Reformed Church just like his father. Between these decade (1880-1890)he painted 900 paintings and more than 1000 pictures on paper. At the beginning of his art career he studied other paintings and tried to copy them. He also read drawing manuals and lessen books. His idea of becoming a great artist was that before you work with colors such as red, blue, yellow, green, etc. you had to first master using black and white. Van Gogh's uncle was an art dealer, after he moved from his parents house he moved to the Hague. His uncle was able to sell his first piece of art and he received his first earnings as an artist.

      

     In is early painting times, he painted The Potato Eaters which became one of his most famous early paintings. During his early times he liked to use darker colors to show his understanding. But in his later paintings like The Starry Night he was able to express the paintings with lighter colors. Later in his life he moved to Paris with his brother Theo where he saw the works of an impressionist and neo-impressionists. This inspired Van Gogh to paint Self- portrait with a Straw Hat, which expressed his earlier peasant study. Van Gogh enjoyed painting so much that often times he wouldn't eat, this therefore led him to his poor health. 

     

      When Van Gogh died, his wife collected his paintings and letters and dedicated herself to make his work recognition. During his life time Van Gogh only sold one painting, The Red Vineyard, and only became famous after his death. Also his brother Theo, who was also his best friend, died six months after Van Gogh and together they are buried in Auvers, France next to each other. 

Sources:

• http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/gogh/hd_gogh.htm
• http://www.vangoghgallery.com/misc/fun_facts.html
• http://www.ducksters.com/biography/artists/vincent_van_gogh.php