Vincent Van Gogh

Self Portrait (1889) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris (Photo courtesy of the Musée d
Self Portrait (1889) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Self Portrait (1889) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of the Musée d
The Church at Auvers-sur-Oise (1890) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of the Musée d
Sunflowers (1888) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of the Van Gogh Museum)
The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of MoMA)
Vincent's Bedroom in Arles (1888) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of the Van Gogh Museum)
Dr Paul Gachet (1890) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of the Musée d
Wheat Field with Crows (1890) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of the Van Gogh Museum)
Cornfield with Cypresses (1888) by Vincent van Gogh, in the National Gallery, London, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of the National Gallery)
Starry Night Over the Rhone (1888) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of the Musée d
Irises (1888) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Getty Museum, London, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of the Getty Museum)
Cafe Terrace at Night (1888) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of the Kröller-Müller Museum)
Self Portrait as a painter (1887–88) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of the Van Gogh Museum)
Self Portrait with a bandaged ear (1889) by Vincent van Gogh, in the Courtauld Gallery, London, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo courtesy of the Courtauld Gallery)
Possible photo of Vincent van Gogh, discovered in the early 1990s, Vincent Van Gogh, General (Photo by Victor Morin Artiste)

A tortured post-Impressionist whom history has deemed one of the greatest of all time

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-90) was Dutch, but spent most of his tortured artistic career in France.

While the artistic establishment was virtually ignoring him, van Gogh managed to carry the freedom of impressionism to new heights, and he created an impressive, intensely expressive style all his own.

He combined divisionism, synthetism, and a touch of Japanese influence, and painted with thick, short strokes.

The Netherlands' most famous modern artist was an under-appreciated, tormented genius. Bouts of depression led him at one point into an asylum and at another to hack off his own ear after an argument with the painter Gauguin.

Van Gogh committed suicide at the age of 37.

However, history and modern tastes have been far kinder to Vincent Van Gogh. He remains, by most standards,  the most popular painter in the world today, his paintings auction for record sums, and he sells more museum postcards and posters than any other artist. Not bad for a man who sold only one painting in his lifetime—to his brother, Theo.

Selected works by Vincent Van Gogh in England


Self-portrait with bandaged ear (1889) by Vincent van Gogh in the Courtauld Gallery, London

Where to find works by Vincent Van Gogh in England