The Encyclopedia of Vincent van Gogh Paintings
Discover all the masterpieces painted by Vincent van Gogh, the "Father of Post-Impressionism"
Vincent van Gogh
1853-1890
Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. He was born on March 30, 1853, in Zundert, Netherlands, and died on July 29, 1890, in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, at the age of 37. Van Gogh created approximately 2100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of them in the last two years of his life. His notable works include landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and self-portraits, and are characterized by bold, symbolic colors, and dramatic, impulsive, and highly expressive brushwork that contributed to the foundations of modern art. Van Gogh's early works consisted of mostly still lifes and depictions of peasant laborers. In 1886, he moved to Paris, where he met members of the artistic avant-garde, including Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin, who were seeking new paths beyond Impressionism. Frustrated in Paris and inspired by a growing spirit of artistic change and collaboration, Van Gogh moved to Arles in the south of France in February 1888 with the goal of establishing an artistic retreat and commune. Van Gogh's art became astoundingly popular after his death, especially in the late 20th century, when his work sold for record-breaking sums at auctions around the world and was featured in blockbuster touring exhibitions. In part because of his extensive published letters, van Gogh has also been mythologized in the popular imagination as the quintessential tortured artist. Van Gogh struggled with mental illness and remained poor and virtually unknown throughout his life. His work is notable for its beauty, emotion, and color, and it highly influenced 20th-century art. Van Gogh's most famous paintings include "Starry Night," "Sunflowers," and "Irises."