In 1853, Vincent Willem van Gogh was born in a village in the southern Netherlands as the eldest of six siblings.
Vincent was named after his grandfather, who was a renowned pastor.
Due to his intense personality, Van Gogh was often misunderstood by his family, but he remained very close with his younger brother, Theodorus (Theo).
After Van Gogh’s father passed away, he became even more distant from his family, but he continued to stay in touch with Theo.
As a result, Theo was by Van Gogh’s bedside when he passed away in 1890.
Van Gogh passed away at the young age of 37.
He began painting around the age of 27 and created numerous works over the 10 years leading up to his death.
Today, many of his paintings are recognized as masterpieces, but during his lifetime, his work was only appreciated once.
Most of Van Gogh’s works can be seen at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Vincent van Gogh’s Student Years
Van Gogh had an unusual personality from childhood.
Age 7: Entered elementary school but soon began skipping classes.
Age 8: Studied at home with a tutor.
Age 11: Entered boarding school.
Age 13: Entered a national high school, where he learned painting.
Age 15: Dropped out.
His parents provided him with a good education, but Van Gogh, who had a hot temper, seemed unable to fit in at school.
Vincent van Gogh’s Years as a Merchant
After dropping out of school at 15, Van Gogh began working.
Age 16: Joined his uncle’s art dealership.
Age 20: Had a major argument with his uncle and was transferred to the London branch.
Age 21: Fell in love in London → Heartbreak → Turned to Christianity.
Age 22: Promoted to the Paris branch → Fired.
As a young man, Van Gogh was exposed to many paintings through his work as an art dealer, which sparked his interest in painting.
Vincent van Gogh’s Years as a Preacher
After being fired, Van Gogh lost direction in his life and immersed himself in religion.
Age 23:
・Became a teacher in England but resigned after two months.
・Helped a pastor and aimed to become a clergyman.
・Returned to Holland and got a job at a bookstore.
Age 24:
・Quit the bookstore and started studying for university entrance exams.
・Frustrated by his exam studies, he began to suffer from mental health issues.
Age 25:
・Entered a Belgian evangelist training school.
・Obtained a provisional evangelist license.
Age 26:
・His provisional evangelist license was revoked.
Van Gogh’s teachings as an evangelist were misunderstood, and he was stripped of his provisional license due to his erratic behavior and self-punishing actions.
Vincent van Gogh’s Unemployed Years
Van Gogh stopped working and began painting while moving from place to place in France, Holland, and Belgium.
Age 27:
・Roamed around France
・Roamed around Belgium
・Enrolled at the Brussels Royal Academy of Fine Arts
Age 28:
・Returned to the Netherlands
・Proposed to his cousin but was refused
Age 29:
・Hospitalized due to an infection
・Got a girlfriend
Age 30:
・Broke up with his girlfriend and continued to roam around the Netherlands
Age 31:
・Sold paintings to his brother
・Got a girlfriend but broke up again
Age 32:
・His father had a seizure and died suddenly
・Studied drawing at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Belgium
・Became interested in Japanese ukiyo-e
Van Gogh sold his paintings through his uncle’s trading company, but it was unsuccessful. Despite this, Van Gogh, who did not have a steady job, lived off the money provided by his brother, Theo.
Vincent van Gogh’s Years as a Painter
After his father’s death, Van Gogh continued painting in France.
Age 33:
・Lived at Theo’s house in Paris
・Proposed to the owner of a cafe but was refused
Age 34:
・Held an exhibition with his painter friends
Age 35:
・Moved to Southern France and lived with Paul Gauguin
・Cut off his own earlobe and gave it to a prostitute. She called the police, and he was hospitalized.
・Even after leaving the hospital, he remained mentally unstable and was hospitalized again.
Age 36:
・Transferred to a mental hospital
・Paintings like “Sunflowers” received praise
・“Red Vineyards” was sold at an exhibition (the only work sold during his lifetime)
Age 37:
・Left the mental hospital in May
・On July 29, Van Gogh passed away while being watched over by his younger brother Theo.
From around the age of 36, his works exhibited at various exhibitions began to receive recognition and high praise from many notable artists such as Gauguin and Monet.
The Last Years of Vincent van Gogh
Van Gogh allegedly committed suicide with a pistol. However, there was something unnatural about his death. Some believe the gun went off accidentally, fired by boys in the neighborhood. However, there were no eyewitnesses, and the truth remains unknown.
When Theo arrived at the hospital, Van Gogh was still conscious. One of the last things Theo said to Van Gogh was, “I wish I could die like this.” Van Gogh died in the early hours of the next day.
After Van Gogh’s death, Theo fell ill and passed away, as though he were following in his brother’s footsteps.
Afterward, it was Theo’s wife who helped spread Van Gogh’s work to the world.
Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam opened in 1973, 83 years after Van Gogh’s death, and attracted a record 2.1 million visitors in 2016.
More than 200 paintings, including Van Gogh’s famous self-portrait and Sunflowers, as well as a letter to his brother, are on display.
Works by Gauguin, from the same period, and Japanese ukiyo-e prints, which Van Gogh admired, are also on display.
Museum Tour in Amsterdam