Vincent van Gogh: Life & Artistic Legacy
The renowned artist Vincent van Gogh, often called the tormented artist, sought to convey his emotional and spiritual state in each of his artworks. Although he sold only one painting during his lifetime, Vincent van Gogh is today one of the most famous artists of all time. His canvases are characterized by densely applied, visible brushstrokes held in a vibrant and lush color palette, emphasizing Van Gogh's personal expression in painting. Each painting immediately conveys how the artist saw each scene, interpreted through his eyes, mind, and heart. This highly idiosyncratic and emotionally moving style has significantly influenced artists and art movements in the 20th century and beyond, ensuring that Vincent van Gogh's significance will extend far into the future.
Achievements
🎨 Van Gogh's dedication to articulating the inner spirituality of humans and nature led to a fusion of style and content, resulting in dramatic, inventive, rhythmic, and emotional canvases. These paintings convey far more than just the outward appearance of the respective subject.
🎨 Although his mental instability caused much turmoil during his life, it was simultaneously the driving force behind the emotional depictions of his surroundings. Each of his works was imbued with deeper psychological reflection and resonance.
🎨 Van Gogh's unstable personal temperament became synonymous with the romantic image of the tormented artist. His self-destructive talent resonated in the lives of many 20th-century artists.
🎨 Van Gogh used an impulsive, gestural painting technique and symbolic colors to express subjective emotions. These methods and practices influenced many later modern art movements, from Fauvism to Abstract Expressionism.
Important artworks by Vincent van Gogh
The Potato Eaters, 1885
- Oil on canvas - The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- The original size: approx. 82 cm × 114 cm (32.3 in × 44.9 in)
- Print at ARTLIA: The Potato Eaters 1885
This early canvas is considered Van Gogh's first masterpiece. During his stay among the peasants and workers in Nuenen in the Netherlands, Van Gogh strove to depict the people and their lives truthfully. By rendering the scene in a somber palette, he reflected the bleak living conditions of the peasants and used unattractive models to further illustrate the effects of hard physical labor on these workers. This effect is enhanced by the use of loose brushstrokes to describe the faces and hands of the peasants as they gather around the single, small lantern and eat their meager meal of potatoes. Despite the impressive nature of the scene, the painting was only regarded as successful after Van Gogh's death. At the time this work was painted, the Impressionists had already dominated the Parisian avant-garde with their bright palette for over a decade. It is therefore not surprising that it was impossible for Van Gogh's brother Theo to sell paintings from this period of his brother's work. Nevertheless, this work not only shows Van Gogh's commitment to depicting emotionally and spiritually charged scenes in his art but also the ideas he followed throughout his career.
The Courtesan (after Eisen), 1887
- Oil on canvas - The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- The original size: approx. 100 cm × 60 cm (39.4 in × 23.6 in)
During his stay in Paris, Van Gogh was exposed to numerous artistic styles, including Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. These prints only became available in the West in the mid-19th century. Van Gogh collected works by Japanese Ukiyo-e masters such as Hiroshige and Hokusai and claimed these works were as important as works by European artists like Rubens and Rembrandt. Van Gogh was inspired by a reproduction of a print by Keisai Eisen, which appeared on the cover of the magazine Paris Illustré in May 1886. Van Gogh enlarged Eisen's image of the courtesan and placed her against a contrasting golden background, surrounded by a lush water garden based on landscapes from other prints he owned. This particular garden is inhabited by frogs and cranes, both of which in French slang refer to prostitutes. While the stylistic features shown in this painting, especially the bold, dark outlines and the bright color fields, later defined Van Gogh's mature style, he also made the work his own. By working in color rather than woodcut, Van Gogh was able to soften the work and rely on visible brushstrokes to give depth to the figure and her surroundings and create a dynamic tension across the surface that was not present in the original print.
Café Terrace at Night, 1888
- Oil on canvas - Kröller-Muller Museum, Otterlo
- The original size: approx. 80.7 cm × 65.3 cm (31.8 in × 25.7 in)
- Reprint at ARTLIA: Café Terrace at Night
This was one of the scenes Van Gogh painted during his stay in Arles, and a painting in which he used his powerful nocturnal background. By using contrasting colors and tones, Van Gogh achieved a luminous surface that pulses with inner light despite the darkening sky. The compositional directions all point to the center of the work and draw the eye along the walkway, as if the viewer is strolling through the cobblestone streets. The café still exists today and is a "pilgrimage site" for Van Gogh fans visiting the south of France. In a letter to his sister, he described this painting with the words: "Here you have a night painting without black, with nothing but beautiful blue and violet and green, and in this setting, the illuminated area itself turns sulfur yellow and lemon green. It greatly amuses me to paint the night directly on site..." Painted on the street at night, Van Gogh reproduced the scene directly from his observations, a practice he adopted from the Impressionists. However, unlike the Impressionists, he did not just record the scene as his eye saw it, but also gave the picture a spiritual and psychological tone that reflects his individual and personal response. The brushstrokes vibrate with excitement and joy that Van Gogh felt while painting this work.
Sunflowers, 1888
- Oil on canvas - The National Gallery, London
- Original size: approx. 92.1 cm × 73 cm (36.3 in × 28.7 in)
- Reprint at ARTLIA: Sunflowers
Van Gogh's Sunflowers series was meant to decorate the room reserved for Gauguin in the "Yellow House," his studio and apartment in Arles. The lush brushstrokes created the texture of the sunflowers, and Van Gogh used a wide range of yellows to describe the blossoms, partly due to newly invented pigments that made new colors and shades possible. Van Gogh used the sunny tones to express the entire lifespan of the flowers, from full bloom in bright yellow to the wilting and dying blossoms in melancholic ochre. The traditional painting of a bouquet received new impulses through Van Gogh's experiments with line and texture, giving each sunflower the transience of life, the brightness of the Provençal summer sun, as well as the artist's mindset.
The Bedroom, 1889
- Oil on canvas - The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- Original size: approx. 72 cm × 90 cm (28.3 in × 35.4 in)
- Reprint at ARTLIA: The Bedroom
Van Gogh's Bedroom shows his living quarters at 2 Place Lamartine, Arles, known as the "Yellow House." It is one of his most famous paintings. His use of bold and vibrant colors to depict the skewed perspective of his room demonstrated his break from the muted palette and realistic depictions of the Dutch art tradition as well as the pastel tones often used by the Impressionists. He worked intensively on the subject, colors, and arrangement of this composition and wrote many letters to Theo about it: "This time it is simply my bedroom, here the color should do everything and, through its simplification, give things a grander style; here it should suggest calm or generally sleep. In other words, viewing the painting should calm the brain, or rather the imagination." While the bright yellows and blues might initially seem to signal unrest, the vibrant colors recall a sunny summer day, which Van Gogh intended. This personal interpretation of a scene, where certain emotions and memories determine the composition and color palette, is an important contribution to modern painting.
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889
- Oil on canvas - The Courtauld Gallery, London
- Original size: approx. 60 cm × 49 cm (23.6 in × 19.3 in)
After cutting off part of his left earlobe during a manic episode in Arles, Van Gogh painted Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear while recovering and reflecting on his illness. He believed that painting would help restore balance to his life, demonstrating the important role artistic creation played for him. The painting shows the artist's renewed strength and control in his art, as the composition is rendered with unusual realism, with all facial features clearly modeled and careful attention given to the different textures of skin, fabric, and wood. The artist stands before an easel with a largely blank canvas and a Japanese print hanging on the wall. The loose and expressive brushstrokes typical of Van Gogh are clearly visible; the strokes are both choppy and sinuous, sometimes soft and diffuse, creating tension between otherwise clearly marked boundaries. The bold outlines of his coat and hat echo the linear quality of the Japanese print behind the artist. At the same time, Van Gogh employed the impasto technique, i.e., the continuous application of wet paint, to develop a richly textured surface that enhances the depth and emotional power of the canvas. This self-portrait, one of many Van Gogh created during his career, has an intensity unprecedented in its time, expressed in the open way the artist depicts his self-inflicted wound and the impressive manner in which he renders the scene. By combining influences as diverse as the loose brushstrokes of the Impressionists and the strong contours of Japanese woodcuts, Van Gogh achieved a truly unique form of expression in his paintings.
Starry Night, 1889
- Oil on canvas - The Museum of Modern Art, New York
- Original size: approx. 73.7 cm × 92.1 cm (29 in × 36 1/4 in)
- Reprint at ARTLIA: Starry Night, Van Gogh
The Starry Night is often considered Van Gogh's masterpiece. Unlike most of his works, The Starry Night was painted from memory and not en plein air. The emphasis on the inner, emotional life is clearly visible in his swirling, turbulent depiction of the sky—a radical departure from his earlier, more naturalistic landscapes. Here Van Gogh followed a strict principle of structure and composition, with forms arranged precisely across the canvas to create balance and tension amid the swirling torsion of the cypress trees and night sky. The result is a landscape represented through curves and lines, whose apparent chaos is undermined by a rigorous formal arrangement. The spirituality Van Gogh found in nature is powerfully conveyed in The Starry Night. The painting is famous for pushing painting beyond the depiction of the physical world.
Church at Auvers, 1890
- Oil on canvas - Musée d'Orsay, Paris
- Original size: approx. 94 cm × 74 cm (37 in × 29.1 in)
After Van Gogh left the sanatorium in Saint-Rémy in May 1890, he traveled north to Auvers, outside Paris. The Church at Auvers is one of the most famous paintings from the last months of Van Gogh's life. He gave the landscape movement and emotion by depicting the scene with a palette of vividly contrasting colors and brushstrokes that guide the viewer through the painting. Van Gogh distorted and flattened the architecture of the church and placed it in its own shadow, reflecting his complex relationship with spirituality and religion. Van Gogh conveys the impression that true spirituality is found in nature, not in human-made structures. The influence of Japanese woodblock prints is clearly visible in the thick dark outlines and the flat color fields of the roofs and landscape, while the visible brushstrokes of the Impressionists are extended and emphasized. The use of acidic tones and the darkness of the church point to the impending mental unrest that ultimately culminated in Van Gogh's suicide. This feeling of instability plagued Van Gogh throughout his life and permeated his works with a unique blend of charm and tension.
Paul-Ferdinand Gachet, 1890
- Oil on canvas - Private collection
- Original size: approx. 65 cm × 54 cm (25.6 in × 21.3 in)
Dr. Gachet was the homeopathic doctor who treated Van Gogh after his discharge from Saint-Rémy. The artist found a personal connection in the doctor and wrote to his sister: "I have found in Dr. Gachet a true friend, something like another brother, we resemble each other so much physically and mentally." Van Gogh depicts Gachet sitting at a red table, with two yellow books and a foxglove in a vase near his elbow. The doctor looks beyond the viewer, his eyes conveying a sense of inner sadness that reflects not only the doctor's condition but also Van Gogh's. Van Gogh focused the viewer's attention on the portrayal of the doctor's expression by surrounding his face with the subtly varying blues of his jacket and the hills in the background. Van Gogh wrote to Gauguin that he wanted to create a truly modern portrait, one that would capture "the heartbreaking expression of our time." By portraying Gachet's expression through a mixture of melancholy and gentleness, Van Gogh created a portrait that has affected viewers since its creation. A recent owner, Ryoei Saito, even claimed he planned to have the painting cremated with him after his death because he was so moved by the image. The intensity of the emotions Van Gogh put into every brushstroke is what has made his work so captivating to viewers over the decades and has inspired countless artists and people.
Wheatfield with Crows - Vincent van Gogh, 1890
- Oil on canvas - Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- The original size: approx. 50 cm × 103 cm (19.7 in × 40.6 in)
- Reprint at ARTLIA: Wheatfield with Crows
"Wheatfield with Crows" is one of Vincent van Gogh's last works and is often seen as an expression of his inner despair and artistic peak. The painting shows a dramatic wheat field streaked with dark crows under a threatening sky. The powerful brushstrokes and intense colors convey the emotional depth Van Gogh captured in this work.
The crows flying over the field are often interpreted as a symbol of threat or death, while the branching path through the wheat field suggests a journey without a clear destination. The sky, a deep blue with heavy clouds, strongly contrasts with the bright gold of the wheat and enhances the dramatic atmosphere of the painting.
Van Gogh wrote about his love for the wheat fields: "I see in them something that strengthens me and that I cannot explain." In this painting, he succeeds in creating an emotional landscape that reflects both his admiration for nature and his inner turmoil.
The painting became one of the most iconic works in art history after Van Gogh's death and continues to captivate viewers with its intense emotionality. It is a moving example of Van Gogh's ability to depict his own inner landscape through nature and create a universal language of feeling.
Seineufer im Frühling an der Pont de Clichy, 1887
- Oil on canvas – Private collection
- The original size: approx. 66 cm × 82 cm
- Reprint at ARTLIA: Seineufer im Frühling an der Pont de Clichy
This painting was created during Van Gogh's time in Paris, when he often painted on the banks of the Seine. “Seine Bank in Spring at the Pont de Clichy” shows the awakening nature in bright colors and vibrant brushstrokes. Van Gogh captured the light reflections on the water, the freshly green vegetation, and the lively atmosphere on the riverbank. The composition conveys not only the beauty of the Parisian spring but also the new artistic direction Van Gogh took through contact with the Impressionists. The loose, rhythmic strokes and the bright color palette are clear evidence of his transition from darker Dutch tones to a modern, Impressionist-inspired painting style.
The Postman, Portrait of Joseph Roulin, 1888
- Oil on canvas – The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston / Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (several versions)
- Original size: approx. 81.3 cm × 65.4 cm
- Reprint at ARTLIA: The Postman, Portrait of Joseph Roulin, 1888
Joseph Roulin, a close friend of Van Gogh in Arles, was portrayed by him multiple times. In this work, Van Gogh shows the postman in his blue uniform against a decorative background. “The Postman, Portrait of Joseph Roulin” is more than just a likeness: Van Gogh saw Roulin as a symbol bearer of humanity, reliability, and friendship. Through strong colors and dynamic lines, he gave the painting a monumental dignity. The intense coloring highlights Roulin from everyday life and makes him an iconic figure. This portrait series is considered an expression of Van Gogh's desire to reveal not only the exterior but especially the character and inner strength of his models.
Biography of Vincent van Gogh
His Childhood: Vincent van Gogh, born into a religious Dutch Reformed family in the southern Netherlands, showed unstable moods in his early years but initially no interest in art. During his time at two boarding schools, he excelled in languages. In 1868, he dropped out of formal schooling.
Early Training: In 1869, Van Gogh began an apprenticeship at the international art dealership Goupil & Cie in Paris, where he worked for nearly a decade. He corresponded with his brother Theo, who also became an art dealer. In 1880, Vincent left Goupil & Cie, attempted a religious career, and later decided, with financial support from Theo, to pursue art.
Infatuation and Challenges: In 1881, Van Gogh faced great poverty, returned to his parents, and taught himself to draw. He fell in love with his cousin Kee Vos-Stricker, leading to family conflicts. With Theo's support, he moved to The Hague, studied under Anton Mauve, and engaged with rural life in his art.
Relationship with Sien: In 1882, Van Gogh took in Clasina Maria Hoornik, a destitute young woman he called Sien, and her children. His support for Sien caused tensions with friends, family, and patrons, although she modeled for many of his works.
Maturity: In 1884, Van Gogh moved to Nuenen, Netherlands, focusing on depicting workers and the poor. Personal conflicts and disputes with Theo arose. After his father's death in 1885, he completed significant works like "The Potato Eaters."
The Move to Paris and Impressionism: Van Gogh's move to Paris in 1886 brought him into contact with Impressionist artists, including Monet, Pissarro, and Degas. He studied under Fernand Cormon and adopted a brighter palette influenced by the Impressionists.
Later Years and Mental Struggles: In his final years, Van Gogh's mental health deteriorated, leading to self-harm. In 1889, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Saint-Rémy, where he created many famous works. After leaving the clinic, he moved to Auvers-sur-Oise, but financial worries and depression intensified.
Last Days: On July 27, 1890, Van Gogh shot himself in a wheat field and died two days later. His last words were: "Sadness will last forever."
Legacy: Van Gogh's influence on art history is profound. Movements like Fauvism and German Expressionism adopted his spiritually inspired use of color. The abstract expressionists of the mid-20th century embraced his expressive brushwork to convey emotions. Even the neo-expressionists of the 1980s owe much to his palette and brushstroke. Beyond art, his life inspired music and films like "Lust for Life." Although he sold only one painting during his lifetime, Van Gogh left behind 900 paintings and 1,100 drawings and sketches, with his brother Theo inheriting most of his work.
