Vangogh

Vincent Van Gogh: Post-Impressionist

He was born March 30, 1853 in the small village of Groot-Zundert, Holland. His parent's theodorus van Gogh and Anna Cornelia nee carbentus. He was the older of two sons'. In 1862 he had attempted his first drawing. He went to school in Zevenbergen and studied French, English and German. He had spent a lot of time with his brother to begin a life long correspondence

Which today offers the best means of studying Vincent's opinions, feelings and state of mind. Vincent had been and apprentice for two art dealers from Paris.

Vincent had a devotion to bible studies and at one point became an obsession. During 1876 Vincent's mental & physical state start to take a turn for the worse. The bible studies ended and he moved to Borinage, a coal-mining district in Belgium. That year was very bleak for Vincent which was shown in his work. He lived in poverty. He continued his work in borinage. He had a religious enthusiasm to help the miners with clothes and food. That he couldn't even afford himself. He then is relieved of his duties in borinage and moves to Cuesmes to continue his work there with the miners. He paints the miners and the poverty-stricken weavers.

In 1880 Vincent's brother Theo financially supports him, something that continues throughout his lifetime. The same year Vincent taken some formal studies of anatomy and perspective at the academy in Brussels.

In 1881 he had his advances rejected by his cousin Cornelia Adriana Vos-Stricker (Known as Kee). Devastated by her rejection,

He spends a lot of time with a painter by the name of Anton Mauve, Who introduces him to watercolors.

In 1882 Vincent meets a woman known as Sien and they move in together. Sein is a prostitute with a five year old daughter and is pregnant with another child. He also painted with a couple of acquaintances named Jan Hendrick Weissenbruch and George Hendrick Breitner. Vincents physical state again deteriorates and is hospitalized for three weeks with gonorrhoea. After his release from the hospital he begins to experiment with oils and spends

Time painting nature as well as using Sein and her newborn as models. He was with Sein for more than a year and their relationship ends. He then starts a life devoted to his work.

In 1883-84 Vincent moves to Nuenen with his parents. He sets up a small studio to continue his work. He begins a relationship with the neighbor's daughter, Margot Begemann. Both families are opposed and margot tries to poison herself. Vincent also devastated but continues his work and becomes friends with a tanner and art enthusiast named Anton C. Kerssemakers.

After his fathers death in march of 1885, he continues with his work and in the spring he paints his first great work, The Potato Eaters. He also becomes interested in Japanese woodcuts.

In 1886 Vincent submits some of his work to the Antwerp Academy and is put in a beginners class. He didn't really fit in well at the academy and soon drops out. Later he moves to paris with his brother theo and begins his studies with Common at his atelier. He is influenced by fellow students , John Russell , Henri de Toulouse-lautrec and emile Bernard. He then start to work for Boussod &Valadon managing an art gallery in Montmarte, introduces Vincent to the works of the Impressionists: Claude Monet, Pierre-August Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas and Georges Seurat. Their work has great influence on Vincent and his use of color. He also becomes friends with painter paul Gauguin later that