Vincent Van Gogh

Master of Art

1853-1890Vincent Van Gogh at the age of 18. Van Gogh sold only one painting during his life yet today his artwork sells for tens of millions of dollars at auction!

What were his inspirations?

Van Gogh was inspired by many things like still-lifes & landscapes,

People and workers

He also created self portraitsSelf-Portrait Dedicated to Paul Gauguin 1888 (130 Kb); Oil on canvas, 60.5 x 49.4 cm (23 3/4 x 19 1/2 in); Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Self-Portrait in front of the Easel 1888 (200 Kb); 65 x 50.5 cm

People who inspired Van Gogh

Goerges SeuratJean-Francois Millet

Paul GauginMiners

What Was Unique in His Approach to Painting?

First Steps (after Millet) 1890 (250 Kb); Oil on canvas, 72.4 x 91.2 cm (28 1/2 x 35 7/8 in); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Brushstroke

TechniqueAs he studied painting, VG experimented with all styles &

techniques of his time. Realism, the dark paintings of his native Holland and the bright colors of the impressionists all inspired him.

He absorbed all of these influences, using whichever approach seemed suitable and developing a style of his own, characterized by strength and speedy execution. He was always ready to try new ideas, from squeezing paint directly out of the tube on to the

canvas to painting night scenes, working in the open air by candlelight.

Vincent and Theo van Gogh's grave site: Auvers-sur-Oise, FranceTwo small gravestones--side by side. Theo van Gogh, who died less than a year after Vincent, was buried in Utrecht, The Netherlands. In 1914, however, his widow, Jo, decide to have his body moved to Auvers and buried next to his beloved brother, Vincent. The site of Vincent and Theo's graves receive many visitors every year--many who bring sunflowers and irises as a tribute to Vincent's life and works and to the brother who never lost faith.

Vincent suffered with mental illness throughout his life and ended up shooting himself on July 27th while out painting. His brother(favorite brother) Theo went immediately to his brothers bedside. Vincent died two days later on July 29. Theo died on January 25, six months after Vincent’s death. He was eventually buried in the Auvers cemetary next to his brothers grave.