Vincent Van Gogh Essay -- Essays Papers

Vincent Van Gogh The people back in the 19th century really didn’t accept Van Gaogh’s truthful and emotionally morbid way of expressing the way of art is to himself. It finally was seen as art through the people’s eyes. This set a stage of art that is now known as Expressionism. It is best characterized by the use of symbols and a style that expresses the artist’s inner feelings about his subject. His style of painting is exemplified by a projection of the painter’s inner experience onto the canvas he paints on. Van Gogh’s paintings are done with his feelings that goes on in his life. (Mark Harden’s Artchive) In Vincent’s own words he said, " What lives in art and is eternally living, is first of all the painter, and then the painting." (Mark Harden’s Artchive) A lot of people think that Van Gogh’s life had a lot of failure and that’s why his paintings are about his feelings, but his experiences demonstrate biological and psychological abnormality, causing behaviors that alienated those around him. He started to become isolated from the society, by working on his paintings all the time. He began to use all his energy and all the outburst into his paintings. This caused him to be institutionalized, due to working on his paintings all the time and nothing else. It became so serious that he committed suicide by shooting himself at the age of 37. (Shearer West) During his short life, he only sold one of his art works. He sold it four months before his death and sold it for 400 francs, It was titled "The Red Vineyard," even though he produced so many masterpieces that will go in history. Most art lovers see Van Gogh as a troubled person, but a successful artist. This is far from the actual truth of his turbulent life, which was fraught with failure in every occupational pursuit he attempted, including painting and was marked by intermittent episodes of depression, violence, and out going behaviors. ( Encyclopedia of Arts – Mark Harden’s Artchive) They have nearly completed t he understanding the feelings, experiences, and views Van Gogh had, by the notes that were preserved that he sent to his friends and family, especially the all the ones sent to his brother Theo. Mark Harden’s Artchive) Before Vincent became a painter, he was a Protestant minister and a art dealer. He failed at both of these and then started to study art world. His... ...ure. That’s it as far as I'm concerned†¦ I feel that this is the destiny that I accept, that will never change." (Mark Harden’s Artchive) One of the last paintings Van Gogh did was "Wheat Field With Crows." There's dark clouds in the background that seem hopeless and depressive. Psychologist say that Van Gogh might have had polar disorder, which means manic depression. On July 27, 1890 Vincent killed himself with a gunshot to the chest and then six months later Theo died of lung disease. (Encyclopedia of Arts) Van Gogh is considered one of the most powerful Expressionist. His paintings sell for millions of dollars today even though he only sold one during his lifetime. (Voyager) WORK CITED "Vincent Van Gogh." Mark Harden's Artchive http://www.artchive.com/artchive/ftptoc/vangogh/vangogh_bio.html (7 April 99) "Van Gogh: Starry Night." Voyager http://voyager.learntech.com/cdrom/cataologpage.cgi?starrynight (7 April 99) "Vincent Van Gogh." Encyclopedia.com http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/13346.html (7 April 99) "The Bulfinch Guide to Art History." Shearer West Ref 700.9 B871gu page 475 "Encyclopedia of the Arts." Ref 703 En19 1966 pg 348