As far as we know, the young Vincent proposed to three women: Caroline Haanebeek in 1872, Eugénie Loyer in 1873 and Kee Vos-Stricker in 1881. For a variety of reasons, all three turned him down. Grandpa Stricker's 80th birthday. Caroline Stockum-Haanebeek is second from left.
Although Vincent fell in love several times, he only ever lived with one woman. Sien Hoornik, whom he met in The Hague, was working as a prostitute when Van Gogh approached her to model for his drawings. They quickly developed a relationship.
Roommates Paul Gauguin and Van Gogh
The two famous late-19th century painters were close friends, even creating a community of avant-garde artists together. In October 1888, Gauguin joined Van Gogh in Arles at the “Yellow House” he was renting, staying there for just over two months.
In the summer of 1881, van Gogh fell in love with his recently widowed first cousin, Kee Vos Stricker. He proposed marriage, but was rebuffed with an adamant "no, nay, never" ("nooit, neen, nimmer").
If we can be certain about one thing, it's that Theo was Vincent's best friend. But he could also count others amongst his friends. During his Dutch period, he had regular contact with Anthon van Rappard, a fellow artist with whom he sometimes went painting.
Vincent van Gogh cut off his left ear when tempers flared with Paul Gauguin, the artist with whom he had been working for a while in Arles.
On 27 July 1890, in a field near Auvers, Vincent shot himself in the chest with a revolver. He died two days later, with his brother Theo at his bedside. Why did he choose to end his life? He was also exhausted from working hard and the high standards he set for himself.
This one's easy: no, Vincent didn't have any children.
It is good to love many things, for therein lies strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done with love is well done. ”
On the night before Christmas Eve in 1888 — a cold Sunday evening in the French city of Arles — Vincent Van Gogh took the razor he kept on his small dressing table and slashed off his left earlobe.
“I dream my painting and I paint my dream”
This quote captures the essence of his approach to art. For Van Gogh, the painting was not just about creating a visual representation of something but rather about expressing the emotions and impressions that he experienced in his dreams and imagination.
Van Gogh died in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, in 1890 aged 37.
Theo had always been sickly and prone to ailments, but after Vincent's death, his health deteriorated extremely rapidly indeed. He was admitted to hospital in mid-October 1890 and on 25 January 1891 – six months after Vincent's death, he died of the effects of syphilis. Theo suffered from this illness for a long time.
Etten-Leur: Vincent felt that his parents didn't understand him – a familiar phenomenon which knows no time. His modern ideas brought him into conflict with his father. By the end of 1881 the tension in the parsonage was so acute that Vincent was asked to leave home.
“Of all the artists with whom Picasso identified, Van Gogh is the least often cited but probably the one that meant the most to him in later years. He talked of him as his patron saint, talked of him with intense admiration and compassion, never with any of his habitual irony or mockery.
The authors postulate that after he was fatally wounded, van Gogh welcomed death and believed the boys had done him a favour, hence his widely quoted deathbed remark: "Do not accuse anyone... it is I who wanted to kill myself."
As he lay on his death bed, having apparently shot himself, Vincent Van Gogh is said to have uttered the final words, "The sadness will last forever".
Because van Gogh reportedly experienced periods of high energy and productivity, often followed by episodes of depression and extreme fatigue, many experts have theorized that the artist lived with bipolar disorder.
Plagued by psychiatric illness throughout his life, van Gogh committed suicide in 1890. Evidence suggests that he had manic depression, a chronic mental illness thought affects many creative people. Although treatment with lithium carbonate is now available, the drug also dampens creative abilities.
Born into an upper-middle class family, Van Gogh drew as a child and was serious, quiet, and thoughtful. As a young man, he worked as an art dealer, often traveling, but became depressed after he was transferred to London.
The Starry Night painting has been highly esteemed for decades and its value has reached $100 million, following its $50 million sale in 1990. Many investors are attracted to his artwork for its financial value.
Van Gogh's art became astoundingly popular after his death, especially in the late 20th century, when his work sold for record-breaking sums at auctions around the world and was featured in blockbuster touring exhibitions.
Vincent's paintings now came under the care of Theo's widow, Jo van Gogh-Bonger.