Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter whose emotionally charged, expressive style made him one of the most celebrated artists in history. During his short and turbulent life, he produced over 2,000 works, including around 860 oil paintings, many of which were created in the final two years of his life. Van Gogh’s art is instantly recognizable for its bold colors, dramatic brushwork, and ability to convey deep emotional and psychological states.

Though today he is considered a genius, Van Gogh struggled with poverty, rejection, and mental illness throughout his life. He worked in relative obscurity, supported largely by his brother Theo, who provided financial and emotional support. His early works were darker and somber, reflecting his interest in peasants and rural labor, as seen in The Potato Eaters (1885). After moving to Paris in 1886, he encountered the Impressionists and Neo-Impressionists, which profoundly changed his style, leading to the use of brighter colors and more energetic brushstrokes.

One of Van Gogh’s most famous periods came after he moved to Arles in southern France in 1888. There, he created masterpieces such as Sunflowers and The Bedroom, works that show his fascination with color and his desire to express mood and symbolism rather than realistic detail. His stay in Arles was also marked by a stormy collaboration with Paul Gauguin, which ended in the infamous incident where Van Gogh cut off part of his own ear during a mental breakdown.

In his final year, Van Gogh lived in an asylum in Saint-Rémy and later in Auvers-sur-Oise, where he painted some of his most iconic works, including The Starry Night and Wheatfield with Crows. Despite his immense creativity, he remained plagued by mental health struggles and died in 1890 at the age of 37, likely from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Van Gogh’s art, largely unappreciated in his lifetime, has since become some of the most famous and valuable in the world, symbolizing the struggles of the human spirit and the enduring power of artistic expression.