Things You Didn't Know About the Tortured Life of Vincent van Gogh
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Date: 2022-12-29
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Comments and reviews: 20
willie
Vincent Van Gogh, one of the Dutch painters, could not sell a single painting in his whole life. Now only two hundred paintings have survived out of thousands that he painted, because nobody took care of them. He was simply distributing them to friends; nobody would purchase them. People were afraid even to hang his paintings in their sitting rooms because whoever would see them would think that they were crazy: what kind of painting are you hanging here? People were taking them not to hurt him thanking him, and throwing his paintings into their basements so nobody would see. Now each of his paintings is worth a million dollars. What happened in one hundred years? The man himself was forced into a mad asylum when he was only thirty-two. And he was forced because of his painting he was not harmful, he was not violent, he was not doing anything to anybody. But anybody who looked at his paintings was absolutely certain that this man was mad and unreliable. He should be put in a madhouse. If he could paint these things, he might do anything. For example, he always painted stars as spirals. Even other painters told him, Stars are not spirals!
He said, I also see the stars. I see that they are not spirals, but the moment I start painting them something in me says so strongly that they are spirals. The distance is so vast thats why your eyes cannot see exactly what their shape is. And the voice is so strong. I am simply unable to do anything else but what my inner being says to do.
And now physicists have discovered that stars are spirals. It has gone like a shock throughout the world of painters, that only one painter in the whole history of man had some inner contact and communication with the stars and that was a man who was thought to be mad. And because he was thought to be mad, nobody was ready to give him any service. Every week, his brother used to give him enough money to last for seven days. And he was fasting three days in a week and eating four days because that was the only way to purchase canvas and colors and brushes to paint. Painting was more important than life. He committed suicide at the age of thirty -three. Just after his release from the madhouse, he painted only one painting, which they had prevented him from painting in the madhouse. He wanted to paint the sun. It took him one year. He lost his eyes the burning sun, the hot sun, and the whole day long he would be watching all the colors, from the morning till the evening, from the sunrise to the sunset. He wanted the painting to contain everything about the sun, the whole biography of the sun. Everybody who was sympathetic to him told him, This is too much. Just studying it one day is enough; it is the same sun.
Van Gogh said, You dont know. It is never the same. You have never looked at it. I have never seen the same sunrise twice, never seen the same sunset again. And I want my painting to be a biography. One year the whole day watching the sun He lost his eyes, but he painted. And when the painting was complete, he wrote a small letter to his brother: I am not committing suicide out of any despair because I am one of the most successful men in the world. I have done whatever I wanted to do in spite of the whole world condemning me. But this was my last wish, to paint the whole biography of the sun in one painting. It is completed today. I am immensely joyful, and now there is no need to live. I was living to paint; painting was my life, not breathing. And he shot himself dead. You cannot categorize him with ordinary suicides. It is not a suicide out of despair, out of sadness, out of failure no. Out of immense success, out of total fulfillment, seeing that now, why unnecessarily go on living and waiting for death? I have done the work that I wanted to do. Every creative artist has to understand this: the moment people start thinking about him that he is a little bit off center, that something is loose in his head, he should rejoice that he has crossed the boundary of the mundane and the mediocre. Now he has grown the wings which others dont have.
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Vincent Van Gogh, one of the Dutch painters, could not sell a single painting in his whole life. Now only two hundred paintings have survived out of thousands that he painted, because nobody took care of them. He was simply distributing them to friends; nobody would purchase them. People were afraid even to hang his paintings in their sitting rooms because whoever would see them would think that they were crazy: what kind of painting are you hanging here? People were taking them not to hurt him thanking him, and throwing his paintings into their basements so nobody would see. Now each of his paintings is worth a million dollars. What happened in one hundred years? The man himself was forced into a mad asylum when he was only thirty-two. And he was forced because of his painting he was not harmful, he was not violent, he was not doing anything to anybody. But anybody who looked at his paintings was absolutely certain that this man was mad and unreliable. He should be put in a madhouse. If he could paint these things, he might do anything. For example, he always painted stars as spirals. Even other painters told him, Stars are not spirals!
He said, I also see the stars. I see that they are not spirals, but the moment I start painting them something in me says so strongly that they are spirals. The distance is so vast thats why your eyes cannot see exactly what their shape is. And the voice is so strong. I am simply unable to do anything else but what my inner being says to do.
And now physicists have discovered that stars are spirals. It has gone like a shock throughout the world of painters, that only one painter in the whole history of man had some inner contact and communication with the stars and that was a man who was thought to be mad. And because he was thought to be mad, nobody was ready to give him any service. Every week, his brother used to give him enough money to last for seven days. And he was fasting three days in a week and eating four days because that was the only way to purchase canvas and colors and brushes to paint. Painting was more important than life. He committed suicide at the age of thirty -three. Just after his release from the madhouse, he painted only one painting, which they had prevented him from painting in the madhouse. He wanted to paint the sun. It took him one year. He lost his eyes the burning sun, the hot sun, and the whole day long he would be watching all the colors, from the morning till the evening, from the sunrise to the sunset. He wanted the painting to contain everything about the sun, the whole biography of the sun. Everybody who was sympathetic to him told him, This is too much. Just studying it one day is enough; it is the same sun.
Van Gogh said, You dont know. It is never the same. You have never looked at it. I have never seen the same sunrise twice, never seen the same sunset again. And I want my painting to be a biography. One year the whole day watching the sun He lost his eyes, but he painted. And when the painting was complete, he wrote a small letter to his brother: I am not committing suicide out of any despair because I am one of the most successful men in the world. I have done whatever I wanted to do in spite of the whole world condemning me. But this was my last wish, to paint the whole biography of the sun in one painting. It is completed today. I am immensely joyful, and now there is no need to live. I was living to paint; painting was my life, not breathing. And he shot himself dead. You cannot categorize him with ordinary suicides. It is not a suicide out of despair, out of sadness, out of failure no. Out of immense success, out of total fulfillment, seeing that now, why unnecessarily go on living and waiting for death? I have done the work that I wanted to do. Every creative artist has to understand this: the moment people start thinking about him that he is a little bit off center, that something is loose in his head, he should rejoice that he has crossed the boundary of the mundane and the mediocre. Now he has grown the wings which others dont have.
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Melanie
Since more of the letters have been published in the last years it is suggested (by Matthias Arnold) that Theo's engagement with Johanna triggered Vincent's first suicide attempt (he cut off a little part of his ear instead most likely due to his alcohol consumption during his attempt. After this incident letters show that Theo hasn't been sure what to do with his brother. He didn't really want to take care of him and hoped that Vincent will make the suggestion to go to a mental illness hospital. Theo seemed quite happy for his brother's decision because it meant less work for him who wanted to focus on his wedding. So much for the always supportive brother i guess. Vincent also fell in love with Dr Gachet's daughter who (according to a letter she sent her friend) loved him back. Unfortunately Dr Gachet didn't like this and forbid contacting each other. It is suggested that this situation was another factor that led to his suicide in the end (which Matthias Arnold thinks was his fourth attempt)
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Since more of the letters have been published in the last years it is suggested (by Matthias Arnold) that Theo's engagement with Johanna triggered Vincent's first suicide attempt (he cut off a little part of his ear instead most likely due to his alcohol consumption during his attempt. After this incident letters show that Theo hasn't been sure what to do with his brother. He didn't really want to take care of him and hoped that Vincent will make the suggestion to go to a mental illness hospital. Theo seemed quite happy for his brother's decision because it meant less work for him who wanted to focus on his wedding. So much for the always supportive brother i guess. Vincent also fell in love with Dr Gachet's daughter who (according to a letter she sent her friend) loved him back. Unfortunately Dr Gachet didn't like this and forbid contacting each other. It is suggested that this situation was another factor that led to his suicide in the end (which Matthias Arnold thinks was his fourth attempt)
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Marcello
I feel as if you focus too much on the wrong things.
The story is way broader than what you presented, you merely showed the most important moments of Van Gogh's life, when there is much more to say about him.
There is too much emphasis on the animation and attention grabbing antics.
It would be for the best if the story was told with the most amount of details as possible, why was he considered insane? What made him that way? What was his childhood like? What was his relationship with his family and friends? What did he do before becoming a painter? Etc.
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I feel as if you focus too much on the wrong things.
The story is way broader than what you presented, you merely showed the most important moments of Van Gogh's life, when there is much more to say about him.
There is too much emphasis on the animation and attention grabbing antics.
It would be for the best if the story was told with the most amount of details as possible, why was he considered insane? What made him that way? What was his childhood like? What was his relationship with his family and friends? What did he do before becoming a painter? Etc.
reply
Chocolanny
I discovered his work when I was a kid, 7 or 8 and tried to inspire myself, with which really talked to me. In high school, my art teacher immediately recognized van gogh influences and tried to convince me to attempt to an art school called Les Beaux Arts. I didnt and followed a very different path which led me nowhere. Today, Im diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression, it hits hard so i play video games or read books all day. I should try to paint again maybe.
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I discovered his work when I was a kid, 7 or 8 and tried to inspire myself, with which really talked to me. In high school, my art teacher immediately recognized van gogh influences and tried to convince me to attempt to an art school called Les Beaux Arts. I didnt and followed a very different path which led me nowhere. Today, Im diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression, it hits hard so i play video games or read books all day. I should try to paint again maybe.
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TheLadybughug
I really wish he and the other master's could hop into the future just to see how avant garde they were, and how crazy expensive their works are now. When people buy my artwork, I always joke who knows, maybe it'll really be worth something one day. While studying art, his style of painting frustrated more than one of us when we have to create pieces in his style. I am so grateful his brother was there for him, along with his SIL and nephew.
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I really wish he and the other master's could hop into the future just to see how avant garde they were, and how crazy expensive their works are now. When people buy my artwork, I always joke who knows, maybe it'll really be worth something one day. While studying art, his style of painting frustrated more than one of us when we have to create pieces in his style. I am so grateful his brother was there for him, along with his SIL and nephew.
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Laurie
I took art history. I learned that he was so creative that he would paint at night over another painting. There is a book with letters by Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo. I listened to a theory that Vincent was shot by a youth at the end of his life. That Vincent did not report it because he did not want his murderer to get the death penalty. I believe that he was highly against suicide. Why would anyone think he did starry night?
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I took art history. I learned that he was so creative that he would paint at night over another painting. There is a book with letters by Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo. I listened to a theory that Vincent was shot by a youth at the end of his life. That Vincent did not report it because he did not want his murderer to get the death penalty. I believe that he was highly against suicide. Why would anyone think he did starry night?
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Unruly
He was just too connected to his higher self. He didnt get it and no one else did. The starry night painting is how you see the skies when you really connected to another realm. It's like getting high I love Van Gogh even more.
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He was just too connected to his higher self. He didnt get it and no one else did. The starry night painting is how you see the skies when you really connected to another realm. It's like getting high I love Van Gogh even more.
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education
He was not truly poor, he was a middle-class fail-son for most of his life: he was able to live without holding down a job, and when he spend some time as a preacher his flock were coalminers who were far poorer than him.
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He was not truly poor, he was a middle-class fail-son for most of his life: he was able to live without holding down a job, and when he spend some time as a preacher his flock were coalminers who were far poorer than him.
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You
I never knew that his brother was so supportive and truly believed in him. I feel like sometimes when life is at a low point, we all just need at least one genuine person that truly cares and believes in you.
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I never knew that his brother was so supportive and truly believed in him. I feel like sometimes when life is at a low point, we all just need at least one genuine person that truly cares and believes in you.
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John
People on the comment section I know artist life is hell, but it's doesn't prove your are a artist, drawing brick that cutted by cutting edge technology or cats, or some bull crap doesn't make you a artist.
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People on the comment section I know artist life is hell, but it's doesn't prove your are a artist, drawing brick that cutted by cutting edge technology or cats, or some bull crap doesn't make you a artist.
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Gus
I studied Von Gogh in college, by far Von Gogh was the most fascinating impressionist artist I had the privilege to learn from. He had a sad life but to me he is a genius ahead of his time.
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I studied Von Gogh in college, by far Von Gogh was the most fascinating impressionist artist I had the privilege to learn from. He had a sad life but to me he is a genius ahead of his time.
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Ashley
Thank you so much for including Liszt's Liebestraum as one of the pieces of music used in this video! :) Would you be willing to make a video on his life at some point?
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Thank you so much for including Liszt's Liebestraum as one of the pieces of music used in this video! :) Would you be willing to make a video on his life at some point?
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Julie
Every artist needs a Theo, someone who'll be their main support and believer specially during unfamous and doubtful stage of an artist carrer. VanGogh- my fave artist.
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Every artist needs a Theo, someone who'll be their main support and believer specially during unfamous and doubtful stage of an artist carrer. VanGogh- my fave artist.
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Xigncodee3
If i have time travel machine, i would help him and i don't give a damn if history changed a little bit. or not and as long as i help him, that's it.
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If i have time travel machine, i would help him and i don't give a damn if history changed a little bit. or not and as long as i help him, that's it.
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Sandra
The mental health team I get care from decorates the offices with art by clients. I wish I had the talent of some of these other mentally ill persons.
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The mental health team I get care from decorates the offices with art by clients. I wish I had the talent of some of these other mentally ill persons.
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Josh
All I want to do is make beautiful glass art. It is my fondest hope that one day, my work brings even a tiny bit of the joy Vincent and his works have.
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All I want to do is make beautiful glass art. It is my fondest hope that one day, my work brings even a tiny bit of the joy Vincent and his works have.
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Elphie
I remember years ago that Vincent was actually shot by boys, and Vincent took the blame because one of the boys was a son of a prominent politician
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I remember years ago that Vincent was actually shot by boys, and Vincent took the blame because one of the boys was a son of a prominent politician
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mirrencorin
His biography makes me sad. Hopefully his spirit can find peace and somehow he might learn about the many people loving his artworks.
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His biography makes me sad. Hopefully his spirit can find peace and somehow he might learn about the many people loving his artworks.
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meredith
I'd always heard that Van Gogh cut off his ear because he suffered from tinnitus thinking it would relieve him from the noise.
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I'd always heard that Van Gogh cut off his ear because he suffered from tinnitus thinking it would relieve him from the noise.
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cmdmd
Shows how art is completely subjective. Better paintings and compositions are far less popular. Just like Pollock, overrated.
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Shows how art is completely subjective. Better paintings and compositions are far less popular. Just like Pollock, overrated.
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