Van Gogh

Quick Facts

Vincent van Gogh was born in Groot-Zundert, Holland in 1853.

Vincent's older brother, who died at birth, was also named Vincent van Gogh.

As a young man, van Gogh lacked self-confidence and endured several failed romantic relationships and careers before deciding to become an artist.

During his Parisian period, van Gogh studied with Cormon and met fellow artists Monet, Gauguin and Pissarro.

Vincent created roughly 900 paintings in just ten years, one of several factors that suggest the artist may have been bipolar.

Van Gogh wrote over 800 letters in his short lifetime. This fact has led some to speculate that the artist suffered from hypergraphia, a mental compulsion (commonly linked to epilepsy and mania) to write continuously.

During an infamous incident, van Gogh cut off the lower portion of his own left ear. According to accounts, van Gogh first attempted to attack fellow artist Gauguin (who was living with him at the time) with a razor blade. It was after Gauguin fled that van Gogh took the blade to his own ear.

In a disturbing twist, van Gogh took the ear and presented it to a prostitute named Rachel.

In May of 1890, at the age of 37, van Gogh shot himself in the breast and died two days later.

Vincent's brother Theo, who was also involved in the art world (and the recipient of many of Vincent's letters) died six months later and was buried next to him in Auvers.

Van Gogh sold only one painting during his short lifetime and only became famous posthumously. The painting, entitled The Red Vineyard sold for 400 Francs a few months before his death.

Contrary to popular belief, van Gogh didn't cut off his entire ear, but rather a small portion of his left ear lobe.

Several of van Gogh's most famous work (including The Starry Night) was painted during his stay at an asylum in Saint-Remy-de-Provence in France.