Vincent van Gogh is one of the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. He was born in 1853 in the Netherlands, but spent most of his life in France. Van Gogh died there in 1890 at the age of 37, having never sold a single painting during his lifetime.
Van Gogh’s work had a great impact on modern art, especially on the development of Expressionism. His paintings were often dark, featuring sunflowers and wheat fields with heavy brushstrokes and thick textures. He also painted portraits and self-portraits of himself as well as other subjects, including his brother Theo and fellow Impressionist Paul Gauguin.
Van Gogh suffered from mental illness throughout his life, including depression and paranoia. During one particular episode he cut off part of his ear lobe with a razor blade because he believed it was being eaten by worms—this incident became a central theme in many of his paintings.
Van Gogh was influenced by Japanese art while living in Paris; this influence can be seen in some of his later works such as Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889). His work was not appreciated until after his death when it was shown at an exhibition organized by Gauguin.
