About the Artist:
Vincent Willem van Gogh 30 March 1853-29 July 1890) was a Dutch
Post-Impressionist artist who emerged as one of the most famous figures in
the history of Western art after his death. In only a decade, Van Gogh
created a prolific body of more than 2,000 works of art. Most of his 1,100
drawings and works on paper and nearly 900 oil paintings were produced
during the last two years of his life. Van Gogh's landscapes, still lifes,
portraits, and self-portraits are characterized by vibrant contrasts of
complementary colors, expressive brushwork, and abstract, linear planes
inspired by the Japanese prints he collected and admired. His innovations
contributed to the foundations of modern art. Van Gogh's images often
reflect personal symbolism, experiences, and emotions he discussed in
correspondence with family and friends. He expressed a desire to
communicate joy and comfort through his art and aspired to gather a
community of like-minded artists in southern France. Van Gogh did not
achieve commercial success in his lifetime and relied on financial support
from his brother, Theo van Gogh. His life was shaped by severe depression
and episodes of acute psychological distress. Van Gogh committed suicide
at the age of 37.