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Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890

Vincent van Gogh's life was an enigma of extremes and contradictions. At times he was an independent wanderer, at others he was totally dependent on his brother. Some found him saint-like, others debased. One truth endures: Whether he was an inspired artist, madman, champion of the poor, or utterly helpless, his profoundly troubled life resulted in incredible beauty.

Vincent van Gogh was born in 1853 in the small village of Groot-Zundert, the Netherlands. As an adolescent, he was educated in Zevenbergenin where he was tutored in languages and began drawing for the first time. After graduating in 1869, he became apprenticed to Goupil & Cie, Parisian art dealers who had a branch established in the Hague.

In 1872 Vincent spent a good deal of time with his brother, Theo. It was during this time that they began a lifelong correspondence which today offers the best means of studying Vincent's opinions, feelings and state of mind.

Vincent was transferred to the London branch of Goupil & Cie in 1873. Here he continued to work and visit the museums and galleries to expand his knowledge of art. By the spring of 1876, Vincent resigned from his job and traveled to Ramsgate, England, where he worked as a teacher and curate with a Methodist minister at a small boarding school. As Vincent's religious fervor increased, his physical and mental state started to break down.

In the late 1870s, Vincent's formal religious studies came to an end, but he was still determined to pursue a religious vocation. During this time, he traveled to the Borinage (a coal-mining district in Belgium) to minister to the impoverished miners. The conditions for both Vincent and the miners were draconian, as some of his etchings from the period illustrate.

His religious enthusiasm in aiding these miners eventually attracted the attention of his superiors, who found Vincent's behavior too extreme. Vincent was quickly relieved of his position and subsequently became depressed over what he perceived to be failure.

This incident proved a turning point in his life, since he abandoned his religious pursuits and devoted himself exclusively to painting. At this time, his brother began to support Vincent financially, a situation that would continue until the end of Vincent's life. Later in the year, Vincent undertook some formal studies of anatomy and perspective at the Academy in Brussels.

In 1881 Vincent visited Theo in Etten and, later in the year, had his romantic advances rejected by his cousin, Cornelia Adriana Vos-Stricker. Vincent was devastated and once again deteriorated into depression.

It was around the time of his father's death in March 1885 that Vincent painted what many consider to be his first great work, entitled "The Potato Eaters." Vincent later tried to continue his formal art education at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts but he shunned many of the principles and withdrew.

From here, Vincent began studying with Cormon (1845-1924) at his atelier in Paris. It was not so much the training that influenced Vincent, but rather his introduction to fellow students such as John Russell, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Emile Bernard. When Vincent discovered the impressionist works of Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Seurat, it profoundly influenced him and affected his use of color.

In 1888 Vincent reached a pivotal point in his life and moved to Arles (in southern France) to paint. Here he began painting the flowering Provence landscapes and a number of seaside landscapes (in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer) as well as many of his most famous portraits (including the series of his postman and his family).

Still, madness haunted van Gogh, even during this productive time. Later in the year, after arguing with Gauguin about art, he attacked him with a razor. Immediately after the failed attack, Vincent lost all reason and cut off his left ear. He then wrapped it in newspaper and presented it to an employee of the local brothel he frequented. He was hospitalized, and shortly afterward Theo arrived from Paris to make arrangements for Vincent's care.

From this point on, Vincent continued to work, but his mental state fluctuated wildly. At times he was completely calm and coherent; at others he suffered from hallucinations and delusions. Eventually, his brother Theo had him committed to a mental asylum at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

When emotionally able, Vincent continued painting landscapes (his famous series of olive groves and cypresses) from the asylum, but was forced to stop when his attacks returned. In one, he tried to poison himself by swallowing his own paints. In 1889, Vincent's mental state steadily deteriorated as his work was finally beginning to receive critical recognition when his "The Starry Night" and "Irises" were exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants.

Toward the end of Vincent's life, Theo had his brother placed under the care of a personal physician in Auvers-sur-Oise, just north of Paris. Here Vincent began to paint with incredible verve, producing more than 80 paintings in the last two months of his life, which ended on July 29, 1890, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The life of Vincent van Gogh was as diverse, extreme, and compelling as the art he created. You may view his paintings at the largest exhibit of van Gogh's works in the U.S. in 25 years at the National Gallery of Art through Jan. 3. The exhibition has averaged over 4,500 visitors a day since opening on October 4. To widen distribution of the 2,000 passes issued each day for admission that day, passes are being limited to four per person instead of six.

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 9 No. 2 -- December 1998