Vincent van Gogh
A glimpse into the tragic yet extraordinary life and work of my favourite artist.
Vincent Willem van Gogh
Born: 30 March 1853, Zundert, Netherlands
Died: 29 July 1890 (age 37 years), Auvers-sur-Oise, France
“I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.”
—Vincent van Gogh
Okay, before we even get started, I truly think that the above painting is the best self portrait painting I’ve ever seen.
It’s in van Gogh’s (now) signature style, but looks incredibly lifelike and real. It’s such a masterpiece of self representation blended seamlessly with artistic expression.
If you can’t already tell, I’m a big fan of VVG (as no one calls him).
He’s my favourite painter.
I think a lot of people are drawn to his art and his story.
Vincent’s quotes alone are just brilliant. He had such a wonderful outlook on life, and spoke so poetically about himself and his struggles as an artist as well as his opinions on life itself. I’ve handpicked a select few throughout todays newsletter, but you can read more here if you like.
Van Gogh has become the embodiment of the tortured artist. A creative who was criminally under appreciated in his time, and only found success and recognition after he died.
This alone encourages thoughts of what success means and allows us the space to ponder our own work, and what we’ll eventually leave behind.
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