Vincent van Gogh is indisputably one of the greatest painters of the late nineteenth century. His works are some of the most recognizable and sought after of any artist. His paintings are the highlights of virtually all the greatest galleries and art collections around the world. On the rare occasions when one of van Gogh’s paintings comes up for sale, it invariably breaks auction records—yet, heartbreakingly, van Gogh himself rarely had enough money to buy the paints he needed or even to afford a good meal. Always profoundly religious and spiritual, he was well educated and linguistically very adept. Sadly, almost every event in his life led to disaster and disappointment for him. As van Gogh’s moods changed, so too did his paintings in palette, skill, light, composition, and rhythm. With adequate knowledge, an observer can correctly assign his paintings to various stages of his life. When van Gogh signed his paintings—he didn’t always—he signed simply as “Vincent” because he preferred not to be associated with his moralistic, ultra-conservative Dutch family. He unleashed his personal frustrations onto his canvas in glorious sweeps of color and expression, unmatched by any other artist. Ironically, the profound sadnesses experienced during his tragic life have produced some of the most life-affirming paintings ever produced.
