Vincent van Gogh (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890) is considered one of the greatest Dutch painters but he had little success during his lifetime. He sold only one painting.  Van Gogh never enjoyed the monetary success of his counterpart Rembrandt.  Van Gogh produced all of his work (some 900 paintings and 1100 drawings) during a 10 year period before he succumbed to mental illness and committed suicide.  

This summer I painted 10 of his works which has been an interesting study of color, subjects and art.  It has been an attempt to understand the psyche, life and friendships of a man whose life ended way too soon.  Van Gogh died at the age of 37 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Most of what is understood about his thoughts, beliefs and life is documented in letters to his younger brother Theo who also helped him out monetarily through the years so he could paint.

When he moved to Paris in 1886,  van Gogh discovered the French Impressionists.  Later when he moved to the south of France, taken by the strong sunlight, van Gogh’s works grew brighter in color and he developed his unique and highly recognizable style.  From the time in Paris onwards, Van Gogh’s paintings reflect different adaptations of impressionist brushwork, separate patches of color being applied with varying thickness and direction in a way that makes each painting a fresh experience. 

I have one more painting to go, my personal favorite–The Starry Night (1889).  It has been a wonderful summer with van Gogh.