The Life of Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh is celebrated today as the greatest Dutch painter, besides Rembrandt (“Vincent Willem”). Born in Holland on March 30, 1853, Van Gogh had five other siblings and two parents, and although his mother was an artist, he never bothered with art until much later in his life (“Vincent Willem”). Van Gogh had many shortcomings in his little and dismal time on earth and it was not until his late twenties, after all else had failed, that he gave art a chance. Thanks to the help of his older brother Theo, Van Gogh was able to put all of his emotions and mental worries into productive use, creating masterpieces that are sold today for millions of dollars (“Vincent Willem”). Although he is hugely successful today, Van Gogh had little to no fame in his lifetime and he struggled immensely with his mental state of mind for many years. Ultimately his mental illness (some believe there were more than one) lead to his untimely death, but his turbulent state of mind also helped him to create magnificent images that are revered as some of the greatest pieces of art of today.
It is important to keep in mind that Van Gogh was born exactly one year after his brother, also named Vincent, was stillborn (“Vincent Willem”). This odd situation most certainly led to some of Van Gogh’s mishaps later in his life. Also, Van Gogh’s own mother was an artist, yet she never encouraged art in her children, nor did her or her husband support Van Gogh when he decided to study and practice creative thinking (“Vincent Willem”). Van Gogh’s father was a minister, and he and his siblings grew up in a very religious home, which led to some of Van Gogh’s life choices and also to some of his misfortunes along the way (The Van Gogh Gallery).
At the young age of ...

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...for society to accept his works. Society, as seen in the petition his neighbors signed against his dangerous nature, was scared of Van Gogh. They were afraid of his outbursts, they were afraid of his deep depressions and thoughts. He was not close to anyone with the exception of Theo, and this troubled society. The outcasts (prostitutes) that Van Gogh was enamored with were not so far off from his own self. Many saw him as an outcast and a disruption. Once his troubling soul was no longer a disruption to society, they began to embrace his life and his art. He is now hailed as the greatest Dutch painter besides Rembrandt, and his art is recognized as a treasure. It took 37 years of struggles, misfortunes, drugs, heartbreak, little money, mental illnesses, and support from his brother Theo to push Vincent Van Gogh to the forefront of the greatest artists of all time.