Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh Paintings

"I dream my painting, and I paint my dream" 

We all have some idea about the famous painting "The Starry Night," which is one of the most recognized pices of Art in the world. It is still kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts' permanent collection since 1941. This painting was arguably famous as the art lovers feel that the depth of the painting is phenomenal.

Someone who has keen knowledge about painting will understand what "The Starry Night" depicts. Those who are not aware of this ruminative painting must know it is one of the most meaningful and dreamy pieces of Art. It is an interpretation of the Asylum room of the artist's sublime view of Saint Remy De Provence. The picture shows how his window looks on a starry night. This great artist painted what his eyes captured.

In fact, the starry night is the only nocturnal study of the view. But if we observe the painting keenly, there is definitely a lot more about this Art than just a starry night. Everything in the painting feels like an inner disturbance or conflict of soul. The sky is melting, and there is also an enormous astronomical fusion. So the question that arises here is how can a mere picture speak so much about the artist's state of mind.

This is nothing but the greatness of the artist who used colors to paint his psychological state. And there are many such other magnificent piece of Art from the same artist like, 'The potato eaters,' 'Cafe terrace at night,' 'The Yellow House,' 'Almond Blossoms,' 'Irises' and numerous paintings that have occupied a special place in the heart of the art lovers.

Vincent Van Gogh- An Artist this world deserved more

Only talking about the greatness of these marvelous paintings would be an injustice to the artist. Well, it was one of the most well-known post-impressionist artists, Vincent van Gogh. He was known for his best sense of expressing his imagination through colors. He knew the art of expressing himself through the sceneries his eyes capture and painted them in the colors of his vision. No doubt why he is known as one of the greatest artists this universe has given us. 

He was born in the year 1853 and left this world in the year 1890. He was born in the village of Groot Zundert, Netherlands, and was the son of a pastor who was devout and pious. So Vincent van Gogh without a second thought started to believe that he should follow his father's footsteps and preach the gospel.

Meanwhile, his talent remains hidden along with his emotion, subjugating him somewhere in the blind spot. He opted for many occupations, but nothing worked for him. Maybe the universe was sending pronounced and noticeable signs that he belonged somewhere else. Somewhere consequential.

The Beginning of Gogh’s journey of Art

So some time in between 1860 and 1880, he finally opted for painting without any professional training. He stayed in Belgium and started expanding his knowledge in the field of Art. There are few people who are born with unbelievable qualities of expressing emotion and state of mind nonverbally. Vincent van Gogh chose his Canvas and colors as a medium to let out the conflict going on in his mind.

His first ever painting, 'The Potato Eaters,' that was painted in the year 1885, became unexpectedly famous among the people. Because of the realistic divulgence of the then condition of Netherlands when people were struggling and starving and having a tough life. It is said that a showpiece that touches your heart deserves to be called an Art. People found his perspective and vision very relatable. Moreover, the element of the Art was horrific yet appropriate.

His life became as dark as his paintings

In fact, he was suffering from mental illness for a very long time, but he didn't let go of the agitation of his mind in vain. It was in this phase when he created some very intense and astronomical pictures. His work always showed a sense of darkness that was bothering him for a very long time. So, from his paintings, it was deduced that he was in acute depression and was sent to the asylum for treatment.

He also had failed and traumatic romance in his life. It happened when Van Gogh traveled to the British capital to work for the Ardila Goupil and Cie. At that time, he was happy and at utmost peace. He was also financially stable and, during that time, fell in love with the land lord's daughter.

But she refused his proposal and declared that she was engaged to a former border. That was the time when he started isolating himself from society. However, a fictional play of Nicholas Wright, 'Vincent in Brixton', shows that the artist had an affair with the landlady, a widow of 15 years, rather than her daughter.

His last tough days

The last time in London did not end happily. From 1881 to July 1890, Vincent van Gogh painted almost 900 paintings when he was just 27. Most of his paintings focused on the wretched life of peasants and farmers and their hard life, and many times, he used them as his model. Gogh also preferred natural components such as sceneries and landscapes. He was so poor that he used himself as a model to make his self-portrait because he could not pay his subjects.

The most injustice to his Art was that Van Gogh was never famous as a painter when he was alive. He always suffered acute poverty throughout his life. When he was alive, only one painting, 'The Red Vineyard' was sold for 400 Francs in Belgium. That was seven months before his death. So Van Gogh never lived the life he deserved. But also, he never stopped loving Art. 

Van’s insane temperament brought his death closure to him

Apart from creating paintings, he also wrote nearly 800 letters in his whole lifetime. Those letters were mostly to his brother and closest friend, Theo. In 1886 Vincent van Gogh went to Paris to join his brother Theo, who was the manager of Goupil's gallery. There he studied with Corman and met Pissarro, Monnet, and Gaugin.

Their work impressed him a lot; therefore, Vincent van Gogh tried to change his painting style. His art has always been dark and intense, but this was the time when he added some bright colors to it but failed to copy. He was the man of uniqueness, so he developed his own more bold and unconventional style.

Vincent van Gogh was famous for some of his incidents because of his harmful temperament as once he landed himself in an argument with his friend, which led to a severe action. So, he cut off a part of his ear lobe. He also immortalized his wound in his self-portrait with bandaged ear.

At this time, he painted another remarkable painting,' The Yellow House' was created along with his friends. But due to his socially not unacceptable behavior, he was sent to the mental Asylum in Saint Remy for the treatment office delusion between Insanity and lucidity. After his treatment in The Asylum, he was said to have improved. After getting discharged, he went to live in Auversur- Oise under the care of Dr. Gachet.

“Gone too soon”

On July 27, 1890, he was reported to have willfully gun shot himself in the chest. Although there were no witnesses and the gun was not even found. He finally took his last breath on July 29, 1890. After his death, his brother Theo wrote a letter to their sister Elizabeth in which the last words in the last letter of Vincent van Gogh were mentioned.

They were, "in the last letter which he wrote me and which dates from some four days before his death it says 'I try to do as well as certain painters whom I have greatly loved and admired.' People should realize that he was a great artist, something which often coincides with being a great human being. In the course of time, this will surely be acknowledged, and many will regret his early death."

His death was deliberate, and the doctor, who was observing him, said that he killed himself in complete lucidity. Although in his letter to his brother Theo, it was indirectly mentioned that he was having a difficult time. So it would still not be fair to interpret his ending as disconsolate and melancholic, as said by his brother at Van's funeral, "Honest man and a great artist who had only two aims, Art and humanity.

An Artist who had the guts to love Art, even though he paid a heavy price for it

He always put his heart and soul into his work and lost his mind in the process. He left this world too soon, but his work and words stayed in the hearts of the people. Once Vincent Van Gogh said, "What am I in the eyes of most people — a nonentity, an eccentric, or an unpleasant person — somebody who has no position in society and will never have; in short, the lowest of the low. All right, then — even if that were absolutely true, then I should take one day like to show by my work what such an eccentric, such a nobody, has in his heart. That is my ambition, based less on resentment than on love in spite of everything, based more on a feeling of serenity than on passion. Though I am often in the depths of misery, there is still calmness, pure harmony, and music inside me. I see paintings or drawings in the poorest cottages, in the dirtiest corners. And my mind is driven towards these things with an irresistible momentum."

He was indeed a man of wisdom, humbleness, and modesty. He saw paintings and beauty in ruins and deserted. He proved that only eye and mind soothing landscapes do not deserve to be painted; rather, landscapes that provoke your empathy and sense of reasoning deserve to get the vision of human being. And who can do it best than an artist? He brought a revolution in the world of Art. This world deserved more of him. 

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”
― Vincent Van Gogh

Shop  Vincent Van Gogh Paintings