#6 The Van Gogh Story

   Though we only glanced over the story of Vincent van gogh I found it vital to elaborate on his crazy life. He has a very interesting story. I found out that his father was was a minster. He was named after his grandfather and stillborn brother. So at a very young age he was grossly exposed to many deaths. Imagine a child

going to see a tombstone with his name on it. His life is very tragic to begin with. He had two brothers and 3 sisters. Art ran in the family as his aunts and uncles were art dealers and his great grandfather who was a successful sculptor. When van gogh was sent to boarding school he was exposed to Constantijn C. Huysmans a successful artist in Paris who taught van gogh to draw. He began to enjoy drawing and wanted to paint for a living. After he left school his uncle got him a job as an art vender. He finally decided to follow his passion to become a minister. He failed to make it but carried out his missionary work.

    In 1880 he moved to Brussels and became an artist. His brother Theo helped him financially in his journey. Through this journey he experienced some very strange love interests. He was attracted to some very troubled women. He became in love with his cousin who fled to Amersterdam in disgusted. Then he fell in love with an alcoholic prostitute. She modeled for his paintings which we discussed in class.

    He began studying Japanese art and eastern philosophy. At this time Theo was worried about Vincent and his declining health. He suffered seizures and supposedly eat led paint. Vincent and his brother were constantly arguing and one day Vincent van gogh went to a brothel with a razor and cut his ear off which he gave to a prostitute. They had to admit him to a hospital.

   Theo had a baby with his wife and named him Vincent after his brother. On July 27 1890 van gogh shot himself in the chest. He did not die immediately and bled profusely. He was fixed up and sent to his brothers house which he died only a few days later in his brothers arms. Not too long after Theo died. His wife Johanna collected Vincent's paintings and displayed them in Paris.

   Then we all know how famous he has become after his death. But through my research I found true,y how disturbed he really was. Between the death in his early childhood and his continued feelings of what some would categorize as depression. He lived a tough life and was always in a shadow. He didn't have his own identity as his dead brother was named after him then his brother named his kid after him he must of felt as though he wasn't his own person. It's a sad story but, I'm glad I learned more background into such an amazing story that everyone should be familiar with.