Vincent van Gogh

After finishing The Potato Eaters, in the spring of 1885 Van Gogh sent the picture to his brother Theo, then an art dealer in Paris. The painting shows that the artist was still learning to arrange figures in groups; he tried to depict his figures in realistic poses, without theatricality. Van Gogh retorted to criticism: “I am always doing what I cannot yet do, in order to learn how to do it.” Van Gogh took the criticism to heart; The Potato Eaters was his first and last large figure painting. Later, after reading several works on colour theory, he reached a new level in his artistic development and dared to experiment more boldly with colour, as can be seen, for example, in the hues of his Autumn Landscape (1885, pictured).

From the page of The Potato Eaters

During the time they spent together in the Yellow House in Arles (pictured), Gauguin and Van Gogh held different views on painting. Gauguin argued for painting from memory and encouraged Van Gogh to do so too. Shortly after finishing The Red Vineyard at Arles in November 1888, Van Gogh wrote that he was changing his work a little, and the result was Memory of the Garden at Etten. The two female figures in this dreamlike, symbolic painting, painted from memory, represent the painter’s mother and his sister Wilhelmina.

From the page of The Red Vineyard at Arles

From a very young age Van Gogh was looked after by his brother Theo, who despite his modest salary sent him painting supplies and money and supported him comprehensively in his work. Theo lived in Paris. In 1890 he married, and his son was born, who was also named Vincent. By this time he was finding it hard to support his brother. Van Gogh learned of this in July 1890 when he travelled to Theo, after which he shot himself in the chest. His brother found him, and he died in his arms. Six months later another tragedy struck when Theo suffered a stroke and died, leaving his young family to fend for themselves in the world.

From the page of Café Terrace at Night

Art historians have a wealth of documents about Van Gogh’s short creative career. Van Gogh left behind an extensive and invaluable artistic oeuvre, as well as a multitude of letters written to his family and fellow painters (pictured, a detail of a letter from 1888). He was especially close to his brother Theo, who always stood by him and supported him financially. Van Gogh wrote his first letter to Theo in 1872 and corresponded with him all his life thereafter. The letters offer an interesting insight into the artist’s inner world, since Van Gogh often accompanied his writing with sketches and set out his artistic views, including the symbolism of the colours used in his paintings.

From the page of Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), a Dutch painter, produced around 860 paintings in about ten years, selling almost none. His expressive brushwork and intense colour made him one of the most influential artists of modern times.

From the page of Sunflowers

In his short artistic career of ten years Van Gogh made nearly 900 paintings and more than 1,100 works on paper (pictured, one of his drawings), yet these strikingly original works remained relatively unknown. Van Gogh believed that drawing was “the basis of everything”, and when he decided to become a painter in 1880 he considered it essential to work in black and white before starting colour works. He used his drawings to prepare his compositions, to practise before painting and to record on-the-spot impressions.

From the page of A Wheatfield, with Cypresses

Van Gogh died on 29 July 1890, two days after putting a bullet in his chest. His haunting, dark masterpiece, the wide panorama Wheatfield with Crows (pictured), is often referred to as the painter’s last work. Several other paintings, however, were made after it. Van Gogh’s very last work is probably The Fields (Wheatfields), painted 19 days before his death, or one of his two pictures of Daubigny’s garden.

From the page of Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe

On the evening of 27 July 1890 van Gogh left his rented room at the Ravoux Inn and went for a walk, returning late. The innkeepers found him in great pain and sent for a local doctor and Dr Gachet. The doctors were unable to remove the bullet with which van Gogh had shot himself in the chest that evening, so they bandaged the artist, whose untimely death came on 29 July. Dr Gachet made a drawing of his friend van Gogh on his deathbed (pictured), and at his grave he praised his artistic achievement and true humanity, saying: “Art meant more to him than anything, and he will live on in it.”

From the page of Portrait of Dr Gachet