Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on 30 March 1853 in Zundert, a small town in a largely agricultural region in the south of the Netherlands. The son of a Protestant pastor, Vincent became aware from an early age of the divide between his own middleclass upbringing and the poverty-stricken lives of the local laborers and peasants.

After leaving school in 1869 at the age of 16, Vincent began work at Goupil et Cie, an art dealership in which his uncle was a partner. Vincent became increasingly involved with the commercial side of the art world, organizing exhibitions, selling original and reproduced artworks – and seeing the prices that they were fetching. During his six years at Goupil et Cie, Vincent was exposed to a wide range of paintings both at home and in London and Paris, planting the seed for an enduring passion for painting. He was particularly fond of the work of Jean-François Millet and other realism painters from the Barbizon School.

Vincent’s early twenties were a time of great uncertainty as he tried to define a career path for himself. In 1876, he was terminated from Goupil et Cie when unrequited love left him depressed and slightly erratic. Over the following four years, Vincent made an unsuccessful attempt at theological studies then briefly served as a missionary. Once again he was dismissed, this time as a result of his overzealous approach to his duties.

It is generally considered that Van Gogh’s greatest works were created from 1880 once he had fully committed himself to art. In this 10 year period up to 1890 when he died, Van Gogh created a stunning array of paintings, many of which are brought to life in vivid detail at Van Gogh Alive. Scroll down to discover the places that he lived and the most famous works of art he created in each location.