"biography of vincent van gogh". Why is the artist Vincent Van Gogh famous? Van Gogh year of birth

1853-1890 .

The biography below is by no means a complete and thorough study of the life of Vincent Van Gogh. On the contrary, it is only short review some of important events chronicling the life of Vincent van Gogh. early years

Vincent van Gogh was born in Groot Zundert, the Netherlands on March 30, 1853. A year before Vincent van Gogh was born, his mother gave birth to her first stillborn child, also named Vincent. Thus Vincent, being the second, became the eldest of the children. There has been much speculation that Vincent Van Gogh suffered psychological trauma as a result of this fact. This theory remains a theory, since there are no real historical facts in her support.

Van Gogh was the son of Theodore Van Gogh (1822-85), a Dutch Reformed Church pastor, and Anna Cornelia Carbenthus (1819-1907). Unfortunately, there is practically no information about the first ten years of Vincent van Gogh's life. Since 1864 Vincent spent a couple of years at a boarding school in Zevenbergen, and then continued his studies at the King William II School in Tilburg for about two years. In 1868, Van Gogh left his studies and returned home at the age of 15.

In 1869, Vincent van Gogh began working for Goupil&Cie, a firm of art dealers in The Hague. Van Gogh's family had long been associated with the art world - Vincent's uncles, Cornelis and Vincent, were art dealers. His younger brother Theo worked as an art dealer his entire adult life and, as a result, had a huge influence on the later stages of Vincent's career as an artist.

Vincent was relatively successful as an art dealer and worked for Goupil&Cie for seven years. In 1873 he was transferred to the company's London branch and quickly fell under the spell of England's cultural climate. At the end of August, Vincent rents a room in the home of Ursula Loyer and her daughter Eugenie at 87 Hackford Road. Vincent is believed to have been romantically inclined towards Eugenie, but many early biographers erroneously call Eugenie by her mother's name, Ursula. To add to the years-long confusion of names, recent evidence suggests that Vincent was not in love with Eugenie, but was in love with a fellow countrywoman named Caroline Haanebeek. True, this information remains unconvincing.

Vincent van Gogh spent two years in London. During this time he visited many art galleries and museums and became a big fan of British writers such as George Eliot and Charles Dickens. Van Gogh was also a great admirer of the work of British engravers. These illustrations inspired and influenced Van Gogh in his later life as an artist.

Relations between Vincent and Goupil&Cie became more tense, and in May 1875 he was transferred to the firm's Paris branch. In Paris, Vincent worked on paintings that were of little interest to him from the point of view of personal tastes. Vincent leaves Goupil & Cie at the end of March 1876 and returns to England, remembering where he spent two, for the most part, very happy and fruitful years.

In April, Vincent van Gogh began teaching at the Reverend William P. Stokes' school in Ramsgate. He was responsible for 24 boys aged 10 to 14. His letters show that Vincent enjoyed teaching. After this he began teaching at another boys' school, the parish of the Rev. T. Jones Slade in Isleworth. In his free time, Van Gogh continued to visit galleries and admire many great works of art. He also devoted himself to Bible study - spending many hours reading and re-reading the Gospel. The summer of 1876 marks a time of religious transformation for Vincent Van Gogh. Although he grew up in a religious family, he did not imagine that he would seriously consider dedicating his life to the Church.

As a means of making the transition from teacher to priest, Vincent asks Reverend Jones to give him more responsibilities typical of the clergy. Jones agrees and Vincent began speaking at prayer meetings in the Turnham Green parish. These speeches served as a means of preparing Vincent for a goal he had long been working towards: his first Sunday sermon. Although Vincent himself was delighted with this prospect as a preacher, his sermons were somewhat dull and lifeless. Like his father, Vincent had a passion for preaching, but something was missing.

After visiting his family in the Netherlands for Christmas, Vincent Van Gogh remains in his homeland. After working briefly in a bookshop in Dordrecht at the beginning of 1877, Vincent went to Amsterdam from 9 May to prepare for entrance exams to the university, where he was to study theology. Vincent learns Greek, Latin, and mathematics, but ultimately drops out after fifteen months. Vincent later described this period as "the worst time of my life." In November, after a three-month probationary period, Vincent fails to enter the missionary school in Laeken. Vincent van Gogh eventually agreed with the church to begin preaching with probationary period in one of the harshest and poorest areas in Western Europe: Borinage coal mining area, Belgium.

In January 1879, Vincent began his duties as a minister to miners and their families in the mountain village of Wasmes. Vincent felt a strong emotional attachment to the miners. He saw and sympathized with their terrible working conditions, and as their spiritual leader, he did everything he could to ease the burden of their lives. Unfortunately, this altruistic desire reached such fanatical proportions that Vincent began donating much of his food and clothing to the poor people under his tutelage. Despite Vincent's noble intentions, representatives of the Church strictly condemned Van Gogh's asceticism and removed him from his position in July. Refusing to leave the area, Van Gogh moved to neighboring village, Cuesmes, where he existed in extreme poverty. For the next year, Vincent struggled to live day to day and, although unable to help the human village in any official capacity as a cleric, he still decided to remain a member of their community. The next year was so difficult that the question of survival for Vincent van Gogh was faced every day. And although he could not help people as an official representative of the church, he remains in the village. On a noteworthy occasion for Van Gogh, Vincent decided to visit the home of Jules Breton, a French artist whom he admired. Vincent had only ten francs in his pocket and walked the entire 70 km to Courrières, France, to see Breton. However, Vincent was too timid to get through to Breton. So without positive result and an absolutely disheartened Vincent returned to Cuesmes.

It was then that Vincent began to draw miners, their families and life in harsh conditions. At this turning point in fate, Vincent Van Gogh chooses his next and final career direction: as an artist.

Vincent Van Gogh as artist

In the autumn of 1880, after more than a year of living in poverty in the Borinage, Vincent went to Brussels to begin his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts. Vincent was inspired to begin his studies with financial support from his brother Theo. Vincent and Theo have always been close, maintaining a constant correspondence both as children and throughout most of their adult lives. Based on this correspondence, and there are more than 800 letters, the idea of ​​Van Gogh’s life is based.

1881 would prove to be a turbulent year for Vincent van Gogh. Vincent is successfully studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels. Although biographers have different opinions on the details of this period. In any case, Vincent continues to study at his own discretion, taking examples from books. In the summer, Vincent again visits his parents, who already live in Etten. There he meets and develops romantic feelings for his widowed cousin Cornelia Adrian Vos Stricker (Key). But Key's unrequited love and break with his parents lead to his imminent departure to The Hague.

Despite the failures, Van Gogh works hard and improves under the guidance of Anton Mauwe (a famous artist and his distant relative). Their relationship was good, but it deteriorated due to tension when Vincent began living with a prostitute.

Vincent van Gogh met Christina Maria Hornik, nicknamed Sin (1850-1904) at the end of February 1882 in The Hague. At that time she was already pregnant with her second child. Vincent lived with Sin for the next year and a half. Their relationship was turbulent, partly due to the complexity of the characters of both individuals, but also due to the imprint of a life of complete poverty. From Vincent's letters to Theo, it becomes clear how well Van Gogh treated Sin's children, but drawing is his first and most important passion, the rest fades into the background. Sin and her children posed for dozens of Vincent's drawings, and his talent as an artist grew significantly during this period. His earlier, more primitive drawings of miners in the Borinage give way to a much more refined style and emotion in the work.

In 1883, Vincent began experimenting with oil paints, he used oil paints before, but now this is his main direction. In the same year, he breaks up with Sin. Vincent leaves The Hague in mid-September to move to Drenthe. Over the next six weeks, Vincent leads nomadic image life, moving throughout the region working on landscapes and images of peasants.

Last time, Vincent returns to his parents' house, now in Nuenen, at the end of 1883. Over the next year, Vincent Van Gogh continued to improve his skills. He created dozens of paintings and drawings during this period: weavers, counters and other portraits. Local peasants turned out to be his favorite subjects - partly because Van Gogh felt strong kinship with poor working people. Another episode occurs in Vincent's romantic life. This time it's dramatic. Margot Begemann (1841-1907), whose family lived next door to Vincent's parents, was in love with Vincent and the emotional turmoil in the relationship led her to attempt suicide by poison. Vincent was greatly shocked by this incident. Margot eventually recovered, but the incident greatly upset Vincent. He himself returned to this episode several times in letters to Theo.

1885: First Great Works

In the early months of 1885, Van Gogh continued his series of portraits of peasants. Vincent viewed them as good practice where he could improve his skills. Vincent works productively during March and April. At the end of March, he takes a short break from work due to the death of his father, relations with whom in recent years have been very tense. Several years of hard work, improving skills and technology, and in 1885 Vincent approached his first serious work, “The Potato Eaters.”

Vincent worked on The Potato Eaters during April 1885. He prepared several sketches in advance and worked on this painting in the studio. Vincent was so inspired by the success that even criticism from his friend Anthony Van Rappard only led to a breakup. This is a new stage in Van Gogh's life and mastery.

Van Gogh continued to work in 1885, he did not calm down and at the beginning of 1886 he entered the Art Academy in Antwerp. He once again comes to the conclusion that formal training is too narrow for him. Vincent's choice is practical work, the only way he can hone his skills, as evidenced by his "Potato Eaters". After four weeks of training, Van Gogh left the Academy. He is interested in new methods, technology, self-improvement, all of which Vincent can no longer get in Holland, his path lies to Paris.

New Beginning: Paris

In 1886, Vincent Van Gogh arrived in Paris without warning to visit his brother Theo. Before that, in letters he wrote to his brother, about the need to move to Paris for further development. Theo, in turn, knowing Vincent's complex character, resisted this move. But Theo had no choice and his brother had to be accepted.

The period of life in Paris for Van Gogh is important in terms of his role in transformation as an artist. Unfortunately, this period of Vincent's life (two years in Paris) is one of the least documented. Since the description of Van Gogh’s life is based on his correspondence with Theo, and this Vincent lived with Theo (Montmartre district, 54 Lepic Street) and naturally there was no correspondence.

However, the importance of Vincent's time in Paris is clear. Theo, as an art dealer, had many contacts among artists and Vincent soon entered this circle. During his two years in Paris, Van Gogh visited early Impressionist exhibitions (which included works by Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Georges Seurat and Sisley). There is no doubt that Van Gogh was influenced by the Impressionists, but he always remained true to his own unique style. Over the course of two years, Van Gogh adopted some of the techniques of the Impressionists.

Vincent enjoyed painting around Paris during 1886. His palette began to move away from the dark, traditional colors of his homeland and would include the brighter hues of the Impressionists. Vincent became interested in Japanese art, due to Japan's cultural isolation at that time. The Western world was fascinated by all things Japanese and Vincent acquired several Japanese prints. Consequently japanese art had an influence on Van Gogh and throughout the rest of his life this can be read in his works.

Throughout 1887, Van Gogh honed his skills and practiced a lot. His active and stormy personality does not calm down; Vincent, without sparing his health, eats poorly, abuses alcohol and smoking. His hopes that living with his brother he would be able to control his expenses were not justified. Relations with Theo are tense. .

As often happened throughout his life, bad weather during the winter months they make Vincent irritable and depressed. He is depressed, wants to see and feel the colors of nature. The winter months of 1887-1888 were not easy. Van Gogh decided to leave Paris to follow the sun; his road lay in Arles.

Vincent van Gogh moved to Arles in early 1888 for a number of reasons. Tired of the hectic energy of Paris and the long winter months, Van Gogh strives to warm sun Provence. Another motivation is Vincent's dream of creating a kind of artists' commune in Arles, where his comrades from Paris can find a refuge, where they can work together and support each other in achieving common goals. Van Gogh boarded a train from Paris to Arles on February 20, 1888, inspired by his dream for a prosperous future, and watched the landscape pass by.

Without a doubt, Van Gogh was not disappointed with Arles in his first few weeks there. While searching for the sun, Vincent saw Arles unusually cold and covered with snow. This must have been disheartening for Vincent, who left everyone he knew to find warmth and restoration in the south. However, the bad weather was short-lived and Vincent began painting some of the most beloved work of his career.

As soon as it got warmer, Vincent, without wasting any time, began creating his works on outdoors. In March, the trees woke up and the landscape looked somewhat gloomy after winter. However, within a month, buds are visible on the trees and Van Gogh paints blooming gardens. Vincent is pleased with his performance and, together with the gardens, feels renewed.

The following months were happy. Vincent rented a room at the Café de la Gare at 10 Place Lamartine at the beginning of May and rented his famous “Yellow House” (at 2 Place Lamartine) for the studio. Vincent won't actually move into the Yellow House until September.

Vincent works hard throughout the spring and summer and begins sending Theo his works. Van Gogh is often perceived today as an irritable and lonely person. But in reality, he enjoys the company of people and does his best during these months to make friends with many. Although deeply lonely at times. Vincent never gave up hope of creating a commune of artists and began a campaign to persuade Paul Gauguin to join him in the south. The prospect seems unlikely because Gauguin's resettlement would require even more financial assistance from Theo, who have reached their limit.

At the end of July, Van Gogh's uncle died and left an inheritance to Theo. This financial influx allows Theo to sponsor Gauguin's move to Arles. Theo was interested in this move, as a brother and as business man. Theo knows that Vincent would be happier and more relaxed in Gauguin's company, and Theo also hopes that the paintings he will receive from Gauguin, in exchange for his support, will be profitable. Unlike Vincent, Paul Gauguin is not entirely confident in the success of his work.

Despite the improvement in Theo's financial affairs, Vincent remained true to himself and spent almost everything on art supplies and furnishings in the apartment. Gauguin arrived in Arles by train early in the morning of October 23.

Over the next two months, this move would be crucial, with disastrous consequences for both Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. Initially, Van Gogh and Gauguin got along well, worked on the outskirts of Arles, and discussed their art. As the weeks passed, the weather worsened, Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin were forced to stay at home more and more often. The temperament of both artists, forced to work in the same room, gives rise to many conflicts.

Relations between Van Gogh and Gauguin deteriorated during December. Vincent wrote that their heated arguments became more and more frequent. December 23 Vincent Van Gogh, in a fit of madness, mutilated the lower part of his left ear. Van Gogh cut off part of his left earlobe, wrapped it in cloth and gave it to a prostitute. Vincent then returned to his apartment, where he lost consciousness. He was found by police and admitted to the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Arles. After sending the telegram to Theo, Gauguin immediately left for Paris, without visiting Van Gogh in the hospital. They will never meet in person again, although relations will improve..

During his stay in the hospital, Vincent was under the care of Dr. Felix Ray (1867-1932). The first week after the injury was crucial for Van Gogh's life - both psychologically and physically. He suffered major blood loss and continued to suffer from severe seizures. Theo, who rushed from Paris to Arles, was sure that Vincent would die, but by the end of December and in the first days of January Vincent had almost fully recovered.

The first weeks of 1889 were not easy for Vincent Van Gogh. After recovering, Vincent returned to his Yellow House, but continued to visit Dr. Ray for observations and wear a headband. After his recovery, Vincent was on the rise, but money problems and the departure of his close friend, Joseph Roulin (1841-1903), who accepted more profitable proposition and moved with his whole family to Marseille. Roulin was Vincent's dear and loyal friend for most of his time in Arles.

During January and early February, Vincent worked a lot, during which time he created "Sunflowers" and "Lullaby". However, on February 7, Vincent had another attack. He was taken to Hotel-Dieu Hospital for observation. Van Gogh is in the hospital for ten days, but then returns to the Yellow House.

By this time, some of the citizens of Arles had become alarmed by Vincent's behavior and signed a petition detailing the problem. The petition was presented to the mayor of Arles, and ultimately the chief of police ordered Van Gogh to return to the Hôtel-Dieu hospital. Vincent remained in hospital for the next six weeks and was allowed to leave the hospital to paint. It was a productive but emotionally difficult moment for Van Gogh. As was the case the year before, Van Gogh returns to the blooming gardens around Arles. But even when he creates one of his best works, Vincent realizes that his condition is unstable. And after a discussion with Theo, he agrees to voluntary treatment at a specialized clinic in Saint-Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Van Gogh leaves Arles on May 8th.

Upon arrival at the clinic, Van Gogh was placed under the care of Dr. Théophile Zacharie Peyron Auguste (1827-95). After examining Vincent, Dr. Peyron becomes convinced that his patient suffers from epilepsy - a diagnosis that remains one of the most likely to determine Van Gogh's condition, even today. Being in the clinic put pressure on Van Gogh, he was discouraged by the screams of other patients and the bad food. This atmosphere depresses him. Van Gogh's treatment included hydrotherapy, frequent immersion in a large bath of water. Although this “therapy” was not cruel, in any case, it was the least useful in terms of helping to restore Vincent’s mental health.

As the weeks passed, Vincent's mental state remained stable and he was allowed to resume work. The staff was encouraged by Van Gogh's progress, and in mid-June Van Gogh created Starry Night.

Van Gogh's relatively calm state does not last long, until mid-July. This time Vincent tried to swallow his paints, and as a result, access to materials was limited. After this exacerbation, he quickly recovers, Vincent is pulled out by his art. After another week, Doctor Peyron allows Van Gogh to resume his work. The resumption of work coincided with an improvement in mental state. Vincent writes to Theo, describing his poor physical condition.

For two months, Van Gogh was unable to leave his room and writes to Theo that when he goes outside, he is overcome by intense loneliness. In the coming weeks, Vincent again overcomes his worries and resumes work. During this time, Vincent plans to leave the Saint-Rémy clinic. He expresses these thoughts to Theo, who begins to make inquiries about possible alternatives for providing medical care for Vincent - this time much closer to Paris.

Van Gogh's mental and physical health remained fairly stable throughout the remainder of 1889. Theo's health improved and he helped organize the Octave Maus exhibition in Brussels, which featured six of Vincent's paintings. Vincent is delighted with the venture and remains very productive throughout this time.

On December 23, 1889, a year after the attack in which Vincent cut off his earlobe, Van Gogh was struck down by another week-long attack. The exacerbation was serious and lasted about a week, but Vincent recovered quickly enough and resumed painting. Unfortunately, Van Gogh suffered from a large number of seizures during the first months of 1890. These exacerbations become frequent. Ironically, during this time, when Van Gogh was probably at his most mentally depressed, his work finally begins to receive critical acclaim. The news of this pushes Vincent to hope to leave the clinic and return to the north.

After consultations, Theo realizes that best solution for Vincent will return to Paris, under the care of Dr. Paul Gachet (1828-1909), a physician in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris. Vincent agrees to Theo's plans and completes his treatment in Saint-Rémy. On May 16, 1890, Vincent Van Gogh left the clinic and boarded an overnight train to Paris.

"Sadness will last forever...

Vincent's journey to Paris was uneventful and he was greeted by Theo upon his arrival. Vincent stayed with Theo, his wife Joanna and their newborn son, Vincent Willem (named Vincent) for three have a nice day. Having never liked the hustle and bustle of city life, Vincent felt some tension and decided to leave Paris for the quieter Auvers-sur-Oise.

Vincent met Dr. Gachet shortly after his arrival in Auvers. And although Van Gogh was initially impressed by Gachet, he later expressed serious doubts about his competence. Despite his misgivings, Vincent finds himself a room in small hotel owned by Arthur Gustave Ravoux and immediately begins to paint the surroundings of Auvers-sur-Oise.

Over the next two weeks, Van Gogh's opinion of Gache softens. Vincent was pleased with Auvers-sur-Oise, which gave him the freedom denied him at Saint-Rémy, while at the same time providing him with broad themes for his painting and drawing. The first weeks in Auvers were pleasant and uneventful for Vincent Van Gogh. On June 8, Theo, Joe and the child came to Auvers to visit Vincent and Gachet. Vincent spends a very pleasant day with his family. Apparently, Vincent was completely restored - mentally and physically.

During June, Vincent remained in good spirits and was extremely productive, producing Portrait of Dr. Gachet and The Church at Auvers. The initial calm of the first month in Auvers was interrupted when Vincent received news that his nephew was seriously ill. Theo is going through the most hard time: uncertainty about his own career and future, current health problems and his son’s illness. After the child's recovery, Vincent decided to visit Theo and his family on July 6 and took an early train. Very little is known about the visit. Vincent soon tires and quickly returns to the quieter Auvers.

Over the next three weeks, Vincent resumed his work and, as can be seen from his letters, was quite happy. In his letters, Vincent writes that he is currently feeling well and is calm, comparing his condition with last year. Vincent was immersed in the fields and plains around Auvers and produced some brilliant landscapes during July. Vincent's life becomes more stable and he works a lot.

Nothing foreshadowed such a denouement. On July 27, 1890, Vincent Van Gogh goes into the fields with an easel and paints. There he took out a revolver and shot himself in the chest. Vincent managed to walk back to the Ravoux Inn, where he collapsed into bed. The decision was made not to try to remove the bullet in Vincent's chest and Gachet wrote an urgent letter to Theo. Unfortunately, Dr. Gachet did not have Theo's home address and had to write to him at the gallery where he worked. This did not cause any major delay and Theo arrived the next day.

Vincent and Theo stayed together for last hours Vincent's life. Theo was devoted to his brother, holding him and speaking to him in Dutch. Vincent seemed resigned to his fate and Theo later wrote that Vincent himself wanted to die as Theo sat at his bedside. Vincent's last words were "Sadness will last forever."

Vincent Van Gogh died at 1:30 am. July 29, 1890. Auvers Church refused to allow Vincent to be buried in its cemetery because Vincent had committed suicide. In the nearby village of Meri, however, they agreed to allow the burial and the funeral took place on July 30.

(Vincent Willem Van Gogh) was born on March 30, 1853 in the village of Groot Zundert in the province of North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands in the family of a Protestant pastor.

In 1868, Van Gogh dropped out of school, after which he went to work at a branch of the large Parisian art company Goupil & Cie. He successfully worked in the gallery, first in The Hague, then in branches in London and Paris.

By 1876, Vincent had completely lost interest in the painting trade and decided to follow in the footsteps of his father. In Great Britain, he found work as a teacher at a boarding school in a small town in the suburbs of London, where he also served as an assistant pastor. On October 29, 1876, he preached his first sermon. In 1877 he moved to Amsterdam, where he began studying theology at the university.

Van Gogh "Poppies"

In 1879, Van Gogh received a position as a secular preacher in Wham, a mining center in the Borinage, in southern Belgium. He then continued his preaching mission in the nearby village of Kem.

During this same period, Van Gogh developed a desire to paint.

In 1880, in Brussels, he entered the Royal Academy of Arts (Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles). However, due to his unbalanced character, he soon dropped out of the course and continued his art education on his own, using reproductions.

In 1881, in Holland, under the guidance of his relative, landscape artist Anton Mauwe, Van Gogh created his first paintings: "Still life with cabbage and wooden shoes" and "Still life with a beer glass and fruit."

In the Dutch period, starting with the painting “Harvesting Potatoes” (1883), the main motif of the artist’s paintings was the theme of ordinary people and their work, the emphasis was on the expressiveness of scenes and figures, the palette was dominated by dark, gloomy colors and shades, sharp changes in light and shadow . The canvas “The Potato Eaters” (April-May 1885) is considered a masterpiece of this period.

In 1885, Van Gogh continued his studies in Belgium. In Antwerp he entered the Royal Academy fine arts(The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp). In 1886, Vincent moved to Paris to join his younger brother Theo, who by then had taken over as leading manager of the Goupil gallery in Montmartre. Here Van Gogh took lessons from the French realist artist Fernand Cormon for about four months, met the impressionists Camille Pizarro, Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, from whom he adopted their style of painting.

© Public Domain "Portrait of Doctor Gachet" by Van Gogh

© Public Domain

In Paris, Van Gogh developed an interest in creating images of human faces. Without the funds to pay for the work of models, he turned to self-portraiture, creating about 20 paintings in this genre in two years.

The Parisian period (1886-1888) became one of the artist's most productive creative periods.

In February 1888, Van Gogh traveled to the south of France to Arles, where he dreamed of creating a creative community of artists.

In December, Vincent's mental health took a turn for the worse. During one of his uncontrollable outbursts of aggression, he threatened Paul Gauguin, who came to see him in the open air, with an open razor, and then cut off a piece of his earlobe, sending it as a gift to one of his female acquaintances. After this incident, Van Gogh was first placed in a psychiatric hospital in Arles, and then voluntarily went for treatment at the specialized clinic of St. Paul of the Mausoleum near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The hospital's chief physician, Théophile Peyron, diagnosed his patient with "acute manic disorder." However, the artist was given a certain freedom: he could paint in the open air under the supervision of staff.

In Saint-Rémy, Vincent alternated between periods of vigorous activity and long breaks caused by deep depression. In just one year of his stay at the clinic, Van Gogh painted about 150 paintings. Some of the most outstanding paintings of this period were: “Starry Night”, “Irises”, “Road with Cypresses and a Star”, “Olive Trees”, blue sky and the white cloud", "Pieta".

In September 1889, with the active assistance of his brother Theo, Van Gogh's paintings took part in the Salon of Independents, an exhibition contemporary art, organized by the Society of Independent Artists in Paris.

In January 1890, Van Gogh's paintings were exhibited at the eighth Group of Twenty exhibition in Brussels, where they were enthusiastically received by critics.

In May 1890, Van Gogh's mental condition improved, he left the hospital and settled in the town of Auvers-sur-Oise in the suburbs of Paris under the supervision of Dr. Paul Gachet.

Vincent actively took up painting; almost every day he completed a painting. During this period, he painted several outstanding portraits of Dr. Gachet and 13-year-old Adeline Ravou, the daughter of the owner of the hotel where he stayed.

On July 27, 1890, Van Gogh left his house at the usual time and went to paint. Upon his return, after persistent questioning by the couple, Ravu admitted that he had shot himself with a pistol. All attempts by Dr. Gachet to save the wounded were in vain; Vincent fell into a coma and died on the night of July 29 at the age of thirty-seven. He was buried in the Auvers cemetery.

American biographers of the artist Steven Nayfeh and Gregory White Smith in their study “The Life of Van Gogh” (Van Gogh: The Life) of Vincent’s death, according to which he died not from his own bullet, but from an accidental shot committed by two drunken young men.

Over the course of ten years creative activity Van Gogh managed to paint 864 paintings and almost 1200 drawings and engravings. During his lifetime, only one painting by the artist was sold - the landscape "Red Vineyards in Arles". The cost of the painting was 400 francs.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

1. Vincent Willem van Gogh was born in the south of the Netherlands to a Protestant pastor, Theodore van Gogh, and Anna Cornelia, the daughter of a respected bookbinder and bookseller.

2. The parents wanted to name their first child, who was born one year old, with the same name. before Vincent and died on the first day. In addition to the future artist, the family had five more children.

3. In the family, Vincent was considered a difficult and wayward child, when, outside the family, he showed the opposite traits of his temperament: in the eyes of his neighbors, he was a quiet, friendly and sweet child.

4. Vincent dropped out of school multiple times—he dropped out of school as a child; Later, in an effort to become a pastor like his father, he prepared to take university exams for theology department, but ultimately became disillusioned with his studies and dropped out. Wanting to enroll in an Evangelical school, Vincent considered the fees to be discriminatory and refused to attend. Turning to painting, Van Gogh began attending classes at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, but dropped out after a year.

5. Van Gogh took up painting when he was already mature man, and in just 10 years he went from a novice artist to a master who changed the idea of ​​fine art.

6. Over the course of 10 years, Vincent Van Gogh created more than 2 thousand works, of which about 860 were oil paintings.

7. Vincent developed a love for art and painting through his work as an art dealer at the large art firm Goupil & Cie, which belonged to his uncle Vincent.

8. Vincent was in love with his cousin Kay Vos-Stricker, who was a widow. He met her when she was staying with her son at his parents' house. Kee rejected his feelings, but Vincent continued his courtship, which turned all his relatives against him.

9. Absence art education affected Van Gogh's inability to paint human figures. Ultimately devoid of grace and smooth lines in human images became one of the fundamental features of his style.

10. One of the most famous paintings Van Gogh's Starry Night was painted in 1889 while the artist was in a mental hospital in France.

11. According to the generally accepted version, Van Gogh cut off his earlobe during a quarrel with Paul Gauguin, when he came to the city where Vincent lived to discuss issues of creating a painting workshop. Unable to find a compromise in resolving the topic so trembling to Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin decided to leave the city. After a heated argument, Vincent grabbed a razor and attacked his friend, who fled the house. On the same night, Van Gogh cut off his earlobe, and not his entire ear, as some legends believed. According to the most common version, he did this in a fit of repentance.

12. According to estimates from auctions and private sales, Van Gogh's works, along with works by expensive paintings ever sold in the world.

13. A crater on Mercury is named after Vincent van Gogh.

14. The legend that during Van Gogh’s lifetime only one of his paintings, “Red Vineyards at Arles,” was sold is incorrect. In fact, the painting sold for 400 francs was Vincent’s breakthrough into the world of serious prices, but in addition to it, at least 14 more works by the artist were sold. There is simply no accurate evidence of the remaining works, so in reality there could have been more sales.

15. Towards the end of his life, Vincent painted very quickly - he could finish his painting from start to finish in 2 hours. However, at the same time, he always quoted the favorite expression of the American artist Whistler: “I did it in two hours, but I worked for years to do something worthwhile in those two hours.”

16. Legends that Van Gogh's mental disorder helped the artist to look into depths that were inaccessible ordinary people, are also untrue. Seizures that were similar to epilepsy, for which he was treated at psychiatric clinic, began only in the last year and a half of his life. Moreover, it was precisely during the period of exacerbation of the disease that Vincent could not write.

17. Van Gogh's younger brother, Theo (Theodorus), was of great importance to the artist. Throughout his life, his brother provided Vincent with moral and financial support. Theo, being 4 years younger than his brother, fell ill with a nervous disorder after Van Gogh's death and died just six months later.

18. According to experts, if not for the almost simultaneous early death both brothers, fame could have come to Van Gogh back in the mid-1890s and the artist could have become a rich man.

19. Vincent Van Gogh died in 1890 from a gunshot to the chest. Going out for a walk with drawing materials, the artist shot himself in the heart area from a revolver, bought to scare away birds while working in the open air, but the bullet passed lower. 29 hours later he died from loss of blood.

20. The Vincent Van Gogh Museum, which has the world's largest collection of Van Gogh's works, opened in Amsterdam in 1973. It is the second most popular museum in the Netherlands, after the Rijksmuseum. 85% of visitors to the Vincent Van Gogh Museum come from other countries.

Vincent Willem van Gogh(Dutch: Vincent Willem van Gogh, March 30, Grot-Zundert, near Breda, - July 29, Auvers-sur-Oise, France) - world famous Dutch and French post-impressionist artist.

Biography

Vincent van Gogh was born at 11 a.m. on March 30, 1853, in the village of Groot Zundert in the province of North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands, near the Belgian border. Vincent's father was Theodore van Gogh, a Protestant pastor, and his mother was Anna Cornelia Carbenthus, the daughter of a venerable bookbinder and bookseller from The Hague. Vincent was the second of seven children of Theodore and Anna Cornelia. He received his name in honor of his paternal grandfather, who also dedicated his entire life to the Protestant Church. This name was intended for Theodore and Anna's first child, who was born a year before Vincent and died on the first day. So Vincent, although born second, became the eldest of the children.

Four years after Vincent's birth, on May 1, 1857, his brother Theodorus van Gogh (Theo) was born. In addition to him, Vincent had a brother Cor (Cornelis Vincent, May 17) and three sisters - Anna Cornelia (February 17), Liz (Elizabeth Guberta, May 16) and Vil (Villemina Jacoba, March 16). Family members remember Vincent as a willful, difficult and boring child with “strange manners”, which was the reason for his frequent punishments. According to the governess, there was something strange about him that distinguished him from the others: of all the children, Vincent was the least pleasant to her, and she did not believe that anything worthwhile could come of him. Outside the family, on the contrary, Vincent showed reverse side of his character - he was quiet, serious and thoughtful. He hardly played with other children. In the eyes of his fellow villagers, he was a good-natured, friendly, helpful, compassionate, sweet and modest child. When he was 7 years old, he went to village school, but a year later he was taken from there, and together with his sister Anna he studied at home, with a governess. On October 1, 1864, he left for boarding school in Zevenbergen, 20 km from his home. Leaving home caused Vincent a lot of suffering; he could not forget it, even as an adult. On September 15, 1866, he begins his studies at another boarding school, Willem II College in Tilburg. Vincent is good at languages ​​- French, English, German. There he received drawing lessons. In March of the year, in the middle school year, Vincent suddenly drops out of school and returns to Father's house. This ends his formal education. He recalls his childhood like this: “My childhood was dark, cold and empty...”

Gallery

Self-portraits

Sunflowers

Scenery

Miscellaneous

Links

Literature

• Van Gogh. Letters. Per. from Dutch - L.-M., 1966.
• Rewald J. Post-Impressionism. Per. from English T. 1. - L.-M, 1962.
• Perryucho A. Life of Van Gogh. Per. from French - M., 1973.
• Murina E. Van Gogh. - M., 1978.
• Dmitrieva N. A. Vincent Van Gogh. Man and artist. - M., 1980.
• Stone I. Lust for Life (book). The Tale of V. Van Gogh. Per. from English - M., 1992.
• Constantino Porcu Van Gogh. Zijn leven en de kunst. (from the Kunstklassiekers series) Netherlands, 2004.
• Wolf Stadler Vincent van Gogh. (from the De Grote Meesters series) Amsterdam Boek, 1974.
• Frank Kools Vincent van Gogh en zijn geboorteplaats: als een boer van Zundert. De Walburg Pers, 1990.

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• Van Gogh, Vincent
• Van Dijk, T. A.

See what “Van Gogh” is in other dictionaries:

van Gogh- (van gogh) Vincent (1853, Grotto Zundert, Holland - 1890, Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris), Dutch painter, representative of post-impressionism. Son of a Protestant minister. In 1869 76 served as a commission agent for an art trading company... ... Art encyclopedia

van Gogh- (van Gogh) Vincent (1853 1890) Dutch painter, whose main period of creativity took place in France and lasted about 5 years (the last years of his life), one of the largest representatives of post-impressionism. Comes from a pastor's family, in... ... Encyclopedia of Cultural Studies

van Gogh- Vincent (Van Gogh, Vincent) 1853, Grotto Zundert, North Brabant 1890, Auvers-sur-Oise, France. Dutch painter, draftsman. Did not receive a systematic education. In his youth he changed a number of professions. From 1869 he worked at the company Goupil and Co... ... European art: Painting. Sculpture. Graphics: Encyclopedia

van Gogh- (van Gogh) Vincent (Vincent Willem) (30.3.1853, Grotto Zundert, Holland, 29.7.1890, Auvers-sur-Oise, France), Dutch painter. Pastor's son. In 1869 76 he served as a commission agent for an art trading company in The Hague, Brussels, London and... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

VAN GOGH- (var. to Van Gogh; Vincent Van Gogh (1853 1890) – Dutch artist) It happened - / season, / our god - Van Gogh, / another season - / Cezanne. M925 (149) ... Given name in Russian poetry of the 20th century: a dictionary of personal names

Vincent Willem Van Gogh (1853-1890) – famous Dutch artist, who with his creativity had a huge influence on the painting of the 19th-20th centuries. His creative path was short-lived, only ten years, but during this time he managed to create about 2,100 paintings, 860 of which were painted in oil. He worked in the artistic direction of post-impressionism. He painted portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and self-portraits. He lived in poverty and constant anxiety, lost his mind and committed suicide, only after this did critics appreciate his great work.

Birth and family

Vincent was born in the southern Dutch province of North Brabant, which is located near the border with Belgium. There was a small village of Grot-Zundert, where on March 30, 1853 the future great artist.

His father, Theodore Van Gogh, born in 1822, was a Protestant minister.
Mom, Anna Cornelia Carbentus, was from The Hague, which is located in the western Netherlands. Her father bound and sold books.

In total, seven children were born into the family, Vincent was the second, but the oldest, because the first child died. The name Vincent, meaning “winner,” was intended for the first son; his mother and father dreamed that he would grow up, become successful in life and glorify their family. That was the name of my paternal grandfather, who served in the Protestant church all his life. But a month and a half after birth, the child died, his death was a heavy blow, the parents were inconsolable in their grief. However, a year passed and they had a second baby, whom they decided to call Vincent again in honor of his deceased brother. He became the great winner who brought glory to the Van Gogh family.

Two years after the birth of Vincent, a girl, Anna Cornelia, appeared in the family. In 1857, the boy Theodorus (Theo) was born, who later became a famous art dealer in Holland, in 1859, sister Elizabeth Huberta (Liz), in 1862, another sister Willemina Jacoba (Wil), and in 1867, the boy Cornelis (Cor) .

Childhood

Among all the children, Vincent was the most boring, difficult and wayward, he had strange manners, for which he often received punishment. The governess, who was in charge of raising the children, loved Vincent less than the others and did not believe that something good could come of him.

He grew up gloomy and lonely. While the rest of the children ran around the house and disturbed their father’s preparation for the pastor’s sermon, Vincent retreated into seclusion. He went to wander around the countryside, carefully examined plants and flowers, braided hair from woolen threads, combining bright shades and admiring the play of colors.

However, as soon as Vincent left his family environment and found himself among people, he became a completely different child. Among his fellow villagers, completely different aspects of his character appeared - modesty, good nature, compassion, friendliness, and courtesy. People saw him as a sweet, quiet, thoughtful and serious child.

Surprisingly, such duality then haunted the artist until the end of his days. He really wanted to have a family and children, but lived his life alone. He created for people, and they responded to him with ridicule.

Among the siblings, Vincent was closest to Theo, their friendship lasted until last breath artist. Van Gogh himself recalled his childhood as empty, cold and gloomy.

Education

When Vincent was seven years old, his parents sent him to study at a village school. However, a year later they took him away from there, and the boy received his education at the governess’s home.

In the fall of 1864, he was taken to a boarding school, which was located 20 kilometers from his native village, in the town of Zevenbergen. Leaving his home left a deep impression on the boy; he suffered greatly and remembered this all his life. During this period, Van Gogh made his first sketches and copies of lithographs.

Two years later he was transferred to another boarding school, it was Willem II College in the city of Tilburg. The teenager was best at foreign languages, and here he began to learn drawing.

In the early spring of 1868, when his studies were not yet over, Vincent dropped out of college and went home to his parents. This was the end of his formal education. The parents were very worried that their son grew up so unsociable. They were also worried that Vincent was not attracted to any profession. As soon as the father started a conversation with him about the need to work, the son agreed with him, answering briefly: “Of course, work is a necessary condition human existence».

Youth

Van Gogh's father spent his entire life serving in not very prestigious parishes, so he dreamed that his son would have a good, well-paid job. He turned to his brother, also named Vincent, to help place young Van Gogh somewhere. Uncle Saint used to work in a large trade and art company, but had already retired and was gradually engaged in the sale of paintings in The Hague. However, he still had connections, and in the summer of 1869 he gave his nephew his recommendations and helped him get a job at the Hague branch of the Gupil company.

Here Vincent underwent initial training as a dealer selling paintings and began to work with great zeal. He showed good results, and already in the summer of 1873 the guy was transferred to the London branch of this company.

Every day, due to the nature of his work, he had to deal with works of art, and the guy began to understand painting very well, and not only understand it, but also deeply appreciate it. On weekends, he went to city galleries, antique shops and museums, where he admired the works French artists Jules Breton and Jean-François Millet. I tried to draw myself, but then, looking at each new drawing, grinned displeasedly.

In London, he lived in the apartment of the widow of a priest, Ursula Louyer. Vincent fell in love with the owner's daughter Evgenia. But the girl has a young boy who speaks bad English English language, caused only a feeling of fun. Van Gogh invited Eugenia to become his wife. She sharply refused, saying that she had been engaged for a long time, and she, a provincial Fleming, was not interested in him. This was the first time Vincent had received such a blow, but the consequences of this mental wound remained for life.

Young Van Gogh was crushed; he did not want to work or live. Vincent wrote in letters to his brother Theo that only God was helping him survive, and he would probably become a priest, like his grandfather and father.

At the end of the spring of 1875, Vincent was transferred to Paris for work. But his lost interest in life led to his dismissal due to poor performance of his duties; even the patronage of Uncle Saint did not help. Van Gogh returned to London, where he worked for some time in a boarding school as an unpaid teacher.

Finding yourself

In 1878, Vincent left for his homeland in the Netherlands. He was already 25 years old, but he still hadn’t decided how to continue living. The parents sent their son to Amsterdam, where he settled with Uncle Jan and began diligently preparing to enter the university at the Faculty of Theology. Very soon, young Van Gogh was disappointed with his studies; he wanted to be as useful as possible for ordinary people, and he decided to leave for the south of Belgium.

Vincent came to the mining district of Borinage as a priest. He rescued miners caught in rubble, held conversations with dying people, and read sermons to miners. With his last money he bought wax and lamp oil, and tore his clothes into bandages. He did not have the slightest idea about medicine, but he helped hopeless patients, and soon they began to consider him “not of this world.”

At the same time, Vincent constantly had the desire to draw. He wanted to sketch out on paper every object he encountered along the way. But Van Gogh understood that painting would distract him from his main task and decided not to start. Every time he wanted to pick up a brush or pencil, he said a firm “no.”

He had nothing. He couldn’t even think about women after Evgenia’s refusal. Vincent's younger brother Theo helped him with money. Relatives insisted that it was time to give up their sermons, which did not bring in income, and return to life, start a home and family.

Creative path

In the end, Vincent decided to listen to the reproaches of his relatives, he left sermons and determined for himself the only desired and true path in life - drawing. He had no experience in this matter, but as Van Gogh himself said: “Where there is a will, there is a way.” He began to master the technique of drawing, study the laws of perspective, and for the sake of art he was ready to endure all sorts of hardships.

In 1880, Brother Theo helped Vincent financially so that he could go to Brussels to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. After studying there for four months, Van Gogh had a fight with the teacher and went home to his parents. At this time, his cousin Kee Vos-Stricker was visiting them, with whom Vincent tried to start a relationship. love relationship. The woman he liked rejected him again. Can't stand failure anymore love front Van Gogh decided to give up trying to start a family forever and devote his life only to painting.

He moved to The Hague, where his mentor in the world of painting was the landscape artist Anton Mauwe. Van Gogh still had no money; Theo supported him. Vincent began to work very hard to repay his younger brother for his kindness and protection. He walked around the city a lot, studying every little detail, the artist was especially interested in the poor neighborhoods. This is how his first paintings “Backyards” and “Rooftops” appeared. View from Van Gogh's studio."

Soon Vincent left The Hague for the province of Drenthe in the north-east of the Netherlands. There he rented a hotel hut, equipped it as a workshop and painted landscapes from morning to night. He was also very fascinated by the topic of peasants, their daily life and work.

The lack of artistic education nevertheless affected Van Gogh’s paintings; it was problematic for him to depict human figures. This is how he developed own style, in which a person was deprived of graceful, smooth, measured movements, he seemed to merge with nature and become an integral part of it. This approach is clearly visible in his paintings:

• “Peasant Woman at the Hearth”;
• "Two Women on the Heath";
• "Digging Peasant";
• “Villages planting potatoes”;
• "Two women in the forest";
• "Two peasant women digging potatoes."

In 1886, the artist moved from Drenthe to Paris to live with his brother. This fruitful period was noted in Van Gogh's work by the fact that his palette became much lighter. Previously, earthy colors predominated in his paintings, but now the purity of blue, red, golden yellow colors appeared:

• “Exterior of a restaurant in Asnieres”;
• “Bridges along the Seine on Asnieres”;
• "Papa Tanguy"
• "On the outskirts of Paris";
• "Factory in Asnieres";
• "Sunset on Montmartre";
• "Corner of the Parc d'Argenson in Asnieres";
• « Courtyard hospital in Henri."

Unfortunately, the public did not accept or buy Van Gogh’s paintings. This caused the artist mental anguish. But he continued to work for days on end, and could sit for weeks on end only on tobacco, absinthe and coffee.

Last years of life and death

Use large quantity Absinthe resulted in the development of mental disorders. Once, during an attack, Vincent cut off his earlobe, after which he was placed in a psychiatric hospital in the ward for violent people.

In the spring of 1889, he was transported to an institution for the mentally ill in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He lived here for a year, during which time he painted about 150 paintings.

At the end of 1889, his works first aroused genuine interest at the Brussels Exhibition, and in January 1890 an enthusiastic article about Van Gogh’s paintings was published. However, the artist was no longer happy with anything.

At the beginning of 1890, he was released from the clinic, and Van Gogh came to his brother. He managed to paint his famous paintings:

• "Rural road with cypress trees";
• "Street and stairs in Auvers";
• "Wheat field with crows."

And on July 27, 1890, Vincent shot himself with a revolver, which he bought to scare away birds while painting. He missed and missed the heart, so he died only a day and a half later, on July 29, from loss of blood. He left quietly without saying a word. Van Gogh depicted everything he wanted to say to this world on his canvases. Exactly six months later, his younger brother Theo died.

During the artist's lifetime, only fourteen of his paintings were sold. A hundred years have passed, and his works are included in the list of the most expensive paintings sold in the world. For example, “Self-Portrait with a Cut-Off Ear and a Pipe” was sold in the late 1990s private collection for 90 million dollars.