Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of which date from the last two years of his life. They include landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and self-portraits, and are characterised by bold colours and dramatic, impulsive and expressive brushwork that contributed to the foundations of modern art. He was not commercially successful and, struggling with severe depression and poverty, committed suicide at the age of 37.
Van Gogh was born into an upper-middle-class family. As a child he was serious, quiet and thoughtful. He began drawing at an early age and as a young man worked as an art dealer, often traveling, but became depressed after he was transferred to London. He turned to religion and spent time as a Protestant missionary in southern Belgium. He drifted in ill health and solitude before taking up painting in 1881, having returned home to his parents. His younger brother Theo supported him financially; the two kept a long correspondence by letter. His early works, mostly still lifes and depictions of peasant labourers, contain few signs of the vivid colour that distinguished his later work. In 1886, he moved to Paris where he met members of the avant-garde, including Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin, who were reacting against the Impressionist sensibility. As his work developed he created a new approach to still life and landscape. His paintings grew brighter as he developed a style that became fully realised during his stay in Arles in the South of France in 1888. During this period he broadened his subject matter to include series of olive trees, wheat fields and sunflowers.
Van Gogh suffered from psychotic episodes and delusions and though he worried about his mental stability, he often neglected his physical health, did not eat properly and drank heavily. His friendship with Gauguin ended after a confrontation between the two when, in a rage, Van Gogh severed a part of his own left ear with a razor. After, he spent time in psychiatric hospitals, including a period at Saint-Rémy. After he discharged himself and moved to the Auberge Ravoux in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris, he came under the care of the homeopathic doctor Paul Gachet. His depression persisted and on 27 July 1890, Van Gogh is believed to have shot himself in the chest with a revolver, dying from his injuries two days later.
Van Gogh did not sell during his lifetime, during which he was considered a madman and a failure. His fame came only after his death, when he evolved in the public imagination into a misunderstood genius. His reputation grew in the early 20th century as elements of his style came to be incorporated by the Fauves and German Expressionists. He attained widespread critical and commercial success over the ensuing decades, and is remembered as an important but tragic painter whose troubled personality typifies the romantic ideal of the tortured artist. Today, Van Gogh's works are among the world's most expensive paintings to have ever sold, and his legacy is honoured by a museum in his name, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which holds the world's largest collection of his paintings and drawings.
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Some of their strengths
Vincent Van Gogh has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Energetic, Brave, Honest, Generous, Loyal, Caring, and Clever.
Independent and Brave
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Vincent Van Gogh is someone who is an independent, brave, and honest person who approaches life with energy, intuition, passion, and generosity. A person who is ambitious and motivated.
Adventurous and Free
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Vincent Van Gogh well know them as someone who can be talented, wayward and free, like a big river or the ocean.
Inventive and Clever
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Vincent Van Gogh as someone who is flexible, intelligent, and quick-witted.
A person who likes to be creative, and to be recognized for their artistic talents. Who possesses intelligence, mental discipline, and ambition, and who does well in relationships and partnerships.
Exacting and Achievement-oriented
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Vincent Van Gogh is someone who has very high expectations for people, and who can be extremely focused on achieving goals and objectives.
They are also someone who is balanced, organized, and in-charge, and who loves traveling, working hard, and figuring out the patterns of things.
Independent and Dynamic
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Vincent Van Gogh tends to be someone who is independent, dynamic, and courageous. Who can be positive, energetic, self-reliant, and adventurous, and who can make friends easily.
Some of Vincent Van Gogh's challenges
While Vincent Van Gogh has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Vincent Van Gogh can be Short-tempered, Impulsive, Careless, Emotional, Standoffish, Unfocused, and Indecisive.
Short-tempered and Impulsive
One of Vincent Van Gogh's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as short-tempered and impulsive.
Unfocused and Indecisive
Vincent Van Gogh is someone who can be scattered, restless, and insensitive, be distracted by fluctuating professional interests, be a workaholic, and who can be arrogant and have difficulty accepting advice.
Aggressive and Domineering
Finally, Vincent Van Gogh also can be aggressive, impatient, impulsive, and short-tempered.
