Vincent Van Gogh Research Paper

The works of art enjoyed by a person can show a lot about their personality. Artworks can also give insight to the artist’s emotions and life. Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter in the 1800s. His work has been largely influential and is displayed in museums all over the world. Vincent van Gogh led an extraordinary life which can be seen is his childhood, adult life, and accomplishments. Van Gogh’s childhood was the beginning of his sensational life, and studying his childhood shows the effect later in his life. “Vincent with his taciturnity and solitary habits, contrasted strongly with the rest.” (Cogniat 7) About Van Gogh’s vacations in Zundert, Cogniat says, “There he renewed companionship with his brother Theo, meditated, took country walks, and continued ardently to solitude.” (8) Van Gogh’s tendency for isolation may explain why some of his paintings show such a strong feeling of loneliness, but his relationship with Theo shows that he was not completely isolated from everyone. Overall, it is clear that Van Gogh’s personality from childhood remained the same in his adult life.

In 1879-80, Van Gogh was doing missionary work when he impulsively gave away all his goods, leading the church authorities to dismiss him while Van Gogh was left feeing miserable (Britannica 2). Van Gogh’s life came to a tragic end when, “In despair of ever being able to overcome his loneliness or be cured, Van Gogh shot himself.” (Britannica 6) These details show that, as seen in his emotional art, Van Gogh was never truly happy, and although he could acknowledge his problems, he could never actually overcome them. The many misfortunes of Van Gogh’s adult life can help understand his emotions when creating some of his most famous