Over 500 paintings and drawings
The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has the largest collection of Van Gogh's works in the world, with over 500 works. You can track how the originally simple figure design in the pictures was brought to life over the artist's creative phases. Just as he did under his famous teacher Constant Cornelis Huijsmans, Van Gogh initially dedicated himself to dark paintings, often depicting rural life, such as the painting The Potato Eaters. When he moved to Paris, he was confronted with Impressionism, which made his depictions more diverse and colorful. He reached the peak of contrasting painting when he painted outdoors at the 'Ateliers of the South'. His spontaneous paintings were to express vitality, intensity, and immediacy.Van Gogh's Life Story
Through the multitude of works and letters the museum exhibits, one is taken on a journey of fear, suffering, love, and hope. Van Gogh grew up in poor, rural conditions in Holland and was very religious from an early age. One witnesses his evolution from salesman to teacher, preacher, and finally painter. The Institute Wilhelm II in Tilburg, where he received drawing and art lessons between 1866 and 1868, and the Goupil & Cie Art Dealership, which was partly run by his uncle Cent, were particularly influential in his education.
A Self-portrait (1889) of Van Gogh's | Photo: Unsplash, Jean Carlo EmerThe Path of Suffering
Due to his accumulated knowledge as an art dealer at Goupil & Cie, Van Gogh often found himself in conflicts with other artists, which made him appear arrogant. It was not until 1880 that he decided to become an artist, yet he was never satisfied with his works or his existence. In 1882, he fell in love with the prostitute Clasina Maria Hoornik (also known as Sien Hoornik), who received no recognition from his family. He created a home for her and her two children with financial support from his brother Theo van Gogh. Just a year later he broke up with the unfaithful Sien and dedicated the painting “Sorrow” to her. From then on, he set his hopes on becoming a successful artist.
The painting "Bedroom in Arles" (1888) | Photo: Unsplash, Jean Carlo EmerThe Yellow House
In the search of bright colors and the dream to establish an artist club, Vincent van Gogh moved from Paris to Arles in February 1888. There, he rented a yellow house to be the place of creation for his artist friends, such as Emile Bernard and Phaul Gauguin. Here, Van Gogh fell into a creative frenzy, creating 187 paintings, some of which depicted the yellow house and were intended to adorn its walls. In October 1888, Paul Gauguin moved in with Van Gogh in the “Studio of the South”.Van Gogh's missing ear
Due to differing conceptions of art, Van Gogh occasionally quarreled with Gauguin. When Paul Gauguin could no longer bear Van Gogh's mood swings, he wanted to return to Paris in December 1888. In the heat of the moment, Vincent supposedly threatened him, cutting his own ear off with a razor. He was then brought to a mental institution in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where he continued to paint 150 paintings until May 1890, including 'Almond Blossom', 'The Starry Night' and 'Irises'The late fame
After his rehabilitation, he lived in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris, a time, which according to his letters was characterized by 'sadness and loneliness', despite the proximity to his brother Theo and the doctor and art lover Paul Gachet. On July 27, Van Gogh left the Ravoux Inn to paint outside as usual. However, he returned wounded to the inn; it is suspected that he wanted to shoot himself. After several hours of struggling, he died in the presence of his brother on July 29, 1890. Only after his death did Van Gogh's complete works receive wider recognition: A retrospective in 1901 and the publication of his letters in 1914 cemented his status as one of the best-known names in the world of art.