Vincent Vangogh

Running Head: VINCENT VAN GOGH

Barb Sabatini

ENG 320

Vincent van Gogh

Abstract

The famous Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh, only lived to be 37 years old. During his short stay on this earth, he was a preacher, a teacher and worked in various art galleries during his life. He studied under some other famous painters. He did not start painting until his early 20's. Although, he suffered greatly from severe anxiety and depression, he still was able to produce some of the most colorful drawings in which some displayed great emotion. His only brother, whom he was very close to, played a great role in helping him stay focused. This paper will tell you more about the famous painter of modern art, and how it seemed he became more famous after his death than while he was alive.

In the Beginning.......

Born under the astrological sign of Aries, Vincent Willem van Gogh came into the world on March 30, 1853 in the village of Groot-Zundert, southern province of North Brabant, in the Netherlands. His parents were Theodorus Van Gogh, a Lutheran preacher in the Dutch reformed Church, and Anna Cornelia Carbentu, a wife and mother. Five more children were born after Vincent. As a child, Vincent was rude; bad tempered and did not smile much. It seems that his difficult personality carried over into his adulthood, as well (Green, 2002).

Van Gogh lived during the time of inventions such as the telephone, by Alexandar Graham Bell, and the electric light bulb, by Thomas Edison (Spence, 1997). Vincent grew up in a small community with his brothers and sisters. The red haired-freckled boy was sent to boarding school when he was 11 years old. He really missed his family and did not do well with his studies. When he came home for holidays he would draw. Although his mother enjoyed drawing, his parents never encouraged him to become an artist. His parents felt he should take after his Uncle Vincent, whom he was named after, also known as, Uncle Cent. His uncle was an art dealer for Goupil & Company located in The Hague, France. Vincent began working there and did well (Malam, 1997).

After about four years, he was sent to work in their London branch. Vincent loved London because of the art galleries, the museums and parks, especially the National Gallery. While in London, he stayed at a lodge and admired the lodge-keeper's daughter. Her name was Eugenie Loyer. He told Eugenie how he felt about her, but unfortunately, she did not feel the same. He was heart-broken (Green, 2002).

Trying to Find Himself

Vincent and his young brother of four years, Theo, were very close. They would write letters back and forth and Theo would send him money. Vincent started to develop feelings of loneliness and sadness from his rejection of love, and also by the poverty he was seeing everyday throughout the city. He would write Theo several times (Spence, 1997). He became unhappy with art dealing and left the company. Soon after, he started working as an assistant teacher at a school in Ramsgate, England, although this did not seem to fulfill his need either. He then tried working as a social worker, but doing this left him feeling like he should go back to the Netherlands and become a preacher. He felt he should be helping people as much as he could. He applied into a few school to study Theology. Unfortunately, he was not selected into these programs at the schools in Amsterdam nor in Brussels (Green, 2002).

Although he was not able to become a priest, he took a job as a layperson hired to spending time helping the poor throughout Borinage, which is on the border of France and Belgium. He spent more time with the miners there, helping them in any way he could. He would preach religion but also give them his clothes, and any money he received from his work and from his brother Theo. His behavior seemed out of the ordinary to many folks, which led up to his employer worrying so much that he was let go. Vincent was broke, had not place to live and was depressed. He started sketching again and would sell his works for food. This lifestyle went on for about a year (2002).

In 1880, in a letter he wrote to his brother, Theo, telling him that he walked 43 miles to visit Jules Breton, a leading artist, to show Jules his drawings.