Vincent van Gogh didn't have one single favorite subject, but frequently painted landscapes, nature (especially wheatfields, olive groves, and blossoming trees like almond trees), humble peasant life, and portraits/self-portraits, often expressing deep emotion and spirituality through them, with nature and its cycles providing deep meaning. He particularly loved painting wheatfields for their representation of life, toil, and the elements, and blossoming trees as symbols of rebirth, influenced by Japanese prints.
Van Gogh painted one of his favourite subjects
Blossoming trees, like in the painting Almond Blossom, were one of his favourite subjects to paint. He painted a number of variations on the theme: ranging from a small flowering sprig in a glass to lavishly blossoming trees. Almond trees flower early in spring.
His oeuvre includes landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and self-portraits, most of which are characterised by bold colours and dramatic brushwork that contributed to the rise of expressionism in modern art. Van Gogh's work was only beginning to gain critical attention before his death from suicide at age 37.
The themes he painted likewise changed, with rural labourers giving way to cafés and boulevards, the countryside along the Seine and floral still lifes. He also tried out more 'commercial' subjects, such as portraits. Vincent mostly acted as his own sitter, however, as models were relatively expensive.
Vincent was gripped by a severe depression for nearly a year and was thrown completely upon his own resources. He eventually decided to take Theo's advice and become an artist. He'd always enjoyed drawing and liked art.
1. Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519)
His last words: " The Sadness will last forever." We love you, Vincent Willem van Gogh.
Bryan Charnley (20 September 1949 – 19 July 1991) was a British artist who had paranoid schizophrenia, and explored its effects in his work.
Vincent van Gogh decided to become an artist at the age of 27. That decision would change his life and art history forever.
Greatest Painters of All Time 🎨 Most Important Western Painters
Almond Blossom. Large blossom branches like this against a blue sky were one of Van Gogh's favourite subjects. Almond trees flower early in the spring making them a symbol of new life.
Vincent van Gogh liked to paint with colors like yellow ocher, chrome yellow, cadmium yellow, chrome orange, vermilion, Prussian blue, ultramarine, lead white, zinc white, emerald green, red lake, red ocher, raw sienna.
Vincent Van Gogh used a technique called Impasto when he painted. That means he used so much paint that when it dried, it was actually raised off the surface of the canvas. In fact, the thick paint was so texturized that it seemed three-dimensional, instead of flat paint soaked into the canvas.
The $450 million painting, Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, was bought in 2017 by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, though the purchase was made through an intermediary, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud, acting as a proxy for the Kingdom. It became the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction, intended for the Louvre Abu Dhabi but its current location remains unknown, according to reports.
While not traditionally "scary," Van Gogh's "Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette" (1886) is often cited as his creepiest or most unsettling work, featuring a smoking skull that's both humorous and morbid, a commentary on his academy studies and health. Other candidates for unsettling include the tormented figures in At Eternity's Gate (1890) or the chaotic energy of some night scenes, but the skeleton painting remains a standout for its stark, dark subject matter.
The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is widely considered the world's #1 most famous painting, renowned for its enigmatic smile, mysterious subject, and artistic mastery (sfumato), drawing massive crowds to the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, and making it the most recognized artwork globally.
Painting is the art of applying paint, pigment, or color to a surface (like canvas, wood, or paper) to create images, express ideas, or decorate, using tools like brushes to form shapes, lines, and textures that convey emotion, narrative, or abstraction, and the term also refers to the final artwork itself. It can be purely artistic expression, capturing feelings, or serve a practical purpose like protecting a wall.
The 70/30 rule in art is a compositional guideline suggesting that 70% of a piece should be less detailed "filler" or background, while the remaining 30% is dedicated to the detailed focal point, guiding the viewer's eye and creating visual balance. It's also a time-management strategy, where 70% of your total effort goes to planning (composition, value, color) and only 30% to the final rendering, helping perfectionists avoid rushing.
Alphaeus Philemon Cole (USA, 1876–1988), whose work is in the permanent collections the National Portrait Gallery (UK) and the Brooklyn Museum (USA), actively painted and exhibited his work up to the age of 103.
Van Gogh, who struggled with poverty and mental illness for most of his life, is regarded as a famous example of the tortured artist.
The "25 rule" (or "rule of quarters") in schizophrenia suggests that outcomes fall into four roughly equal groups: 25% recover fully, 25% improve significantly with some ongoing support, 25% improve somewhat but need considerable help, and 25% have a poor outcome with chronic illness or suicide risk, highlighting the varied nature of schizophrenia's long-term course, though some sources use a "rule of thirds" with similar proportions for different outcomes.
The sadness will last forever. What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?
On 28 July 1890 Theo receives word from Auvers that Vincent tried to kill himself with a gun the previous day. Theo rushes to his brother's side, where he will remain until the end. Vincent dies on 29 July. Theo is with him until the very last moment.
It was a gift from Vincent to his brother Theo and his wife Jo, who had just had a son, Vincent Willem. In his letter conveying the happy news, Theo wrote: 'As we told you, we are naming him after you and I wish he will be as persistent and courageous as you. ' The love between the brothers ran deep and strong.