Artist of the Week: Van Gogh

One of my favorite artists, and the one that inspires me most is Vincent Van Gogh. Not only did he suffer from mental illness, but he was very determined to accomplish his dreams. He struggled throughout his life, but he tried to stay positive, no matter how depressed he got.

"I feel there is nothing more artistic than loving people." - Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent was very fond of his parents, and especially his brother Theo. He left home and set out for a new life; to become a minister. He had always been a lover of art, and his brother Theo worked as an art dealer. (Which later helped Vincent find teachers to assist him in his journey.)

Vincent, during his travels, fell in love with the idea of becoming an artist. He studied under many artists, but was struggling with finding a teacher that gave him the encouragement he needed. He went through many mediums until he found his passion for painting. He had tried charcoal, pen and ink, chalk, and watercolors. He later became known as one of the best post-impressionist painters.

While traveling and drawing subjects along the way, he met a woman, Sien (a pregnant prostitute), and decided to choose her as one of his models. They later moved in together, and Vincent provided a home for Sien and her daughter. Having Sien as a model led to one of his more popular pieces called Sorrow. Vincent was very interested in portraying the hardworking and poverty stricken. (One of his famous works The Potato Eaters emerged from this concentration.)

After being in a quarrel with his parents over Sien, Vincent decided to leave her company and move out. Around this time is when he focused on painting.

Throughout his journey to become an artist, although he had the financial help from his brother, he still suffered from poverty himself. Van Gogh spent most of this money on art supplies and models. This deteriorated his health, both mentally and physically. There were times, in his letters to Theo, that he claimed he had not eaten more than a few meals within a 4-6 month timeframe. (I recommend that you all read the letters! They are so personal, almost diary-like.)

Without getting the nutrition that Van Gogh needed, his depression was turning manic and his anxiety was escalated. He was always wondering why it was so hard for an artist, who worked as hard as he did, to be noticed. Van Gogh is said to have had bipolar disorder. Without proper treatment this disorder will go spiraling down hill.

"In short, I want to reach so far that people will say of my work: He feels deeply, he feels tenderly--notwithstanding my so-called roughness, perhaps even because of it." - Vincent Van Gogh

Although Van Gogh was struggling, he still found solace in painting. Van Gogh studied many aspects of art and art culture, such as Japonism. Studying Japonism, with its emphasis on low horizons, helped him in his process of creating Starry Night. This painting is one of the most well-known works for his impasto style (impasto meaning thick layers of paint). The avant-garde movement also helped break Van Gogh out of his shell. This post-impressionistic movement helped him focus more on landscapes rather than the poverty inspired portraits he had been using as his concentration.

Van Gogh thought of himself as a failure, and with that continued to neglect his health and drank heavily. His mental health rapidly deteriorated, and began to have psychotic episodes. An example of how this affected his work is Starry Night. Starry Night is a window into Van Gogh's delusional mind. Van Gogh was put into many psychiatric hospitals after an argument that led to him severing off part of an ear. He was eventually discharged, but the hospitals did not seem to help him and he later committed suicide. Unfortunately, his work did not get noticed until after his death.

Although Van Gogh lived a starving, tortured artist's life, his legacy has inspired many artists as well as people with mental illness. His work is what inspires me most in my artistic career. Van Gogh, to me, will always remain as the most brilliant and tragic creative of our time.