Do You Know Van Gogh?
There are so many things to know about this incredible artist, and while there’s no end to the info you can find about him online, we’d like to highlight some of the best things you ought to know about Mr. van Gogh!
— His Early Life —
* Born in March of 1853, in the Netherlands.
* His father was an austere country minister, and his mother was a moody artist whose love of nature, drawing and watercolors was transferred to her son.
* The eldest of six, Vincent van Gogh had two brothers and three sisters
* At age 15, van Gogh's family was struggling financially, and he was forced to leave school and go to work. He got a job at his Uncle Cornelis' art dealership, Goupil & Cie., a firm of art dealers in The Hague. By this time, van Gogh was fluent in French, German and English, as well as his native Dutch.
— Theo —
* Theo van Gogh played an important role in his older brother's life as a confidant, supporter and art dealer.
* When Vincent moved to Paris, and showed up at Theo's house uninvited, Theo welcomed his brother into his small apartment.
* Theo was Vincent’s constant pen pal when they were apart and was his emotional and financial support when they were near one another.
* Theo asked Paul Gauguin to stay with Vincent and watch over him because of his mental health issues, and around this time is when he cut off part of his left ear after a fight with Gauguin.
* Vincent Van Gogh died in his brother’s arms, two days after he shot himself
— His Life As An Artist —
*In 1880, at the age of 27, he decided to become an artist.
*He moved around, teaching himself to draw and paint, and in 1886 in Paris, he and met many artists including Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Pissarro and *Gauguin, with whom he became friends.
*His style changed significantly under the influence of Impressionism, becoming lighter and brighter.
— His Mental Illnesses —
* Van Gogh suffered from psychotic episodes and delusions and though he worried about his mental stability, he often neglected his physical health, did not eat properly and drank heavily
* Vincent van Gogh suffered from manic depression for most of his life, but many of his episodes were brought on (and worsened over time by) drinking too much absinthe, and sometimes sipping on turpentine and eating paint.
— The Ear —
* After many weeks of living with Paul Gauguin, they began to argue often, especially when Van Gogh wasn’t in his right mid. One night at a bar, the two got into a fight and Van Gogh sliced off part of his right ear.
** Find out why many people have believed that van Gogh didn’t cut off his own ear: https://www....yId=103990820
— His Death —
* On July 27, 1890, Vincent van Gogh went out to paint in the morning carrying a loaded pistol and shot himself in the chest, but the bullet did not kill him. He was found bleeding in his room.
* Van Gogh was taken to a nearby hospital and his doctors sent for Theo, who arrived to find his brother sitting up in bed and smoking a pipe. They spent the next couple of days talking together, and then van Gogh asked Theo to take him home.
* On July 29, 1890, Vincent van Gogh died in the arms of his brother Theo. He was only 37 years old.
*** Learn more about some well-formed theories about the death of Van Gogh and why he might not have actually killed himself. These are solid theories that have been floating around for decades and will 100% make you question what you thought you knew :)
https://www....h/video/78123
— His Masterpieces —
* Vincent van Gogh completed more than 2,100 works, consisting of 860 oil paintings and more than 1,300 watercolors, drawings and sketches.
* Several of his paintings now rank among the most expensive in the world; "Irises" sold for a record $53.9 million, and his "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" sold for $82.5 million.
** A few of van Gogh’s most well-known artworks include:
- ‘Sunflowers’ https://www....on/s0031V1962
- ‘Irises’ http://www.g...s-dutch-1889/
- 'Self Portrait’ https://www....portrait.html
- ‘Starry Night (*Said to be his most well-known painting)
Van Gogh painted "The Starry Night" in the asylum where he was staying in Saint-Rémy, France, in 1889, the year before his death. “This morning I saw the countryside from my window a long time before sunrise, with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big,” he wrote to his brother Theo.
A combination of imagination, memory, emotion and observation, the oil painting on canvas depicts an expressive swirling night sky and a sleeping village, with a large flame-like cypress, thought to represent the bridge between life and death, looming in the foreground. The painting is currently housed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, NY.
-- More about this famous work of art: https://www....ry-night.html
* Interesting fact: The only painting he sold during his lifetime, The Red Vineyard, was created in 1888. It is now on display in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia.
***Interesting Facts About Van Gogh: https://draw...ent-van-gogh/
— — — Van Gogh paintings at Pinot’s Palette! — — —
We are HUGE FANS of Vincent van Gogh at Pinot’s Palette! We’re always offering some type of Van Gogh-style artwork like various versions of our customers’ favorite, ’Starry Night’, as well a some of his landscape and floral paintings! You’ll see that we’ve take some of his most famous works of art and recreated them in a simpler form so that you can make it in one of our 2-3 hour classes. You’ll even see some extra-special and unique paintings that are based on ’Starry Night’ but might be themed for Halloween, Christmas, the beach, a specific US city, and more!
*Always check the calendar, as we add new classes each month and much of the time, a Van Gogh masterpiece will be in the mix!
Next up: ‘Psychedelic Starry Night’
October 5th — This is a BLACK LIGHT CLASS!!!
This vibrant take on Van Gogh’s Starry Night is just as fun to paint in the daylight as it is under blacklight. The glowing color palette is easy to customize, and the simple design is very beginner-friendly. Join us and paint your own technicolor masterpiece!
https://www..../event/351654