
Today we regard Vincent Van Gogh as an artistic genious. His paintings are decorating some of the most famous museums around the world and they sell for record prices. His most famous works are known from everyone and are now synonimous of the fine art.
Undeniably, in his lifetime, he was one of the most active painters. Despite painting for only 10 years, Van Gogh managed to produce more than 900 paintings, with “Stary Night” and the “Sunflowers” being among the most famous ones. However, despite his talent and his hard work, he only managed to sell one painting.
To begin with, Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853, in the Netherlands. Having worked various jobs, from an Art Gallery, to preaching among miners in Belgium, he didn’t seem to settle for anything. In 1880 he decided to become an artist. His early work reflects the difficulties and hard life that Van Gogh experienced by living among the miners and peasants. An example of this is his painting “The Potato Eaters”.

Later, in 1886, Van Gogh decided to move to Paris, where his brother Theo lived. His brother was an Art dealer and really helped Vincent. Except from financing his art, his brother met him with the likes of Paul Gauguin, Camille Pisarro and Georges Seurat. This changed Van Gogh’s work. He started using more color and experimenting more with other styles.
The year 1888 was a year that Van Gogh’s art and life changed. He rented a house in the south of France, in the small town of Arles. Over there, he hoped to find a hub for artists and be less burden to his brother. Moreover, he painted more landscapes and still-life. His “Sunflower” series is part of this period. Gauguin came to stay with him in Arles and the two men worked together for almost two months. However, tensions developed soon after which led to arguments and a fight between the two. As a result, on December 23, in a fit of dementia, Van Gogh threatened his friend with a knife before turning it on himself and mutilating his ear lobe.
After being hospitalized in Arles, he was institiutionalized in Saint- Remy for a year. As a matter of fact, It was there that he painted his most famous work, “The Starry Night”.

In May 1890, Van Gogh moved to Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, where he continued to be plagued by despair and loneliness. On July 27, 1890, he allegedly shot himself and died two days later, at age 37. He left behind an amazing volume of art, which made him one of the most famous artists in history.