On the otherwise ordinary day of the 27th July 1890, as the leaves rustled in a field of wheat, the sound of a gunshot rung out. A Dutch artist who was unrecognized and poor decided to take his own life. This man was later considered to be one of the most influential artists in history. Vincent Van Gogh’s art greatly influenced he art of the twentieth century and the century after that (Brodskaya, 2012). He still inspires artists of this generation, and probably the ones to come. This paper will explore if his mental illnesses played a role in his art. If so, how, and to what extent.
Starry Night is frequently dubbed as Van Gogh’s most influential painting. This piece of artwork made a great impact on the movement of post impressionism. The painting is one that he completed during one of his many visits to an asylum;
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When he first became interested in art, he taught himself by reading drawing manuals and imitating prints (Vincent Van Gogh, 2012). During his earlier years, much of his work revolved around peasants and laborers. The colors he frequently used were melancholic and faded, such as dull browns, greys, and greens (Vincent Van Gogh, 2012). After he became influenced by the artists of the Impressionists, however, his palette changed to include lighter shades of vibrant colors like bright reds, yellows, greens, and oranges. Van Gogh became an avid painter of self-portraits as a means of explorations and development (Vincent Van Gogh, 2012). During a period in the 1880’s, Vincent lived with the artist, Paul Gauguin, with whom he had many heated arguments. These arguments included their views on whether to paint from memory and imagination or to paint from reality. Van Gogh had contradicting opinions regarding this, which could explain how his paintings at times border between being representational and abstract expressionism (Vincent Van Gogh,