Vincent Van Gogh, a post-impressionist painter, left an unrivalled legacy of art, philosophy, and an extraordinary mind. He is one of the world’s most well-known and respected artists. We’ve compiled a list of 10 little-known facts about Vincent Van Gogh.
Van Gogh was born in 1853 in the Netherlands. He produced almost 2,100 works of art, including 860 oil paintings. The majority of these works were completed in the last two years of his life. He began painting when he was 27 years old. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the 10 little-known facts about Vincent Van Gogh. Scroll to read more.
1. Vincent Van Ghogh made 30 self-portraits as a self-taught artist. He spent a few months at an art school four years before his death.
The red vineyard
2. Only one of his paintings, “The Red Vineyard,” was sold during his lifetime. His tryst with fame and glory began posthumously, therefore he remained unknown to mankind.
3. “Starry Nights” is still one of his most famous and well-known works. But did you know he painted it in a French asylum?
Starry nights by van gogh
4. Vincent Van Ghogh was a passionate writer with a limitless imagination. He wrote almost 800 letters, the majority to his brother, Theo, who was a close confidant and financial supporter throughout his life.
5. He had epilepsy, hallucinations, and other mental problems. During an epileptic fit, he attacked a friend with a razor and hacked off a piece of his own ear, rather than the full ear as most people believe.
6. He died by shooting himself in the chest while he was painting in a field. He somehow walked back to his home and died after 30 hours of shooting.
7. According to Theo, his final words were, “The sadness will last forever.”
8. Theo’s wife later made it her life’s mission to collect Vincent’s paintings and letters and to disseminate his work widely so that it receives proper attention. Vincent’s memory lives on thanks to her tireless efforts over the years.
9. The highest ever bid for Vincent’s painting was $82.5 million. Portrait of Dr. Gachet was the winning offer.
Portrait of dr. Gachet
10. He always signed his paintings as “Vincent” since Gogh was often misspelt and mispronounced by people.