Meeting Vicent Van Gogh

The historical figure I have chosen for my presentation is Vincent Van Gogh. I’m sure you know who he is, and probably you know about his most famous paintings.

Talking about his biography, Van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853, in the Netherlands. He was a post-Impressionist painter. He painted more than 800 paintings and more or less 1600 drawings. By the way, he also wrote tons of letters dedicated to his own little brother (Theo Van Gogh), who was a relevant figure in his life because he gave him financial support.

Van Gogh struggled with mental illness and remained poor and unknown throughout his life. In one of these sickness episodes, he cut a piece of his own ear. Obviously, he was admitted to a hospital, but not for a long time.

The years passed, until July 27, 1890, when Van Gogh went out to paint in the morning, carrying a gun. He shot himself in the face, but the bullet didn’t actually kill him. He was discovered by his own brother and was taken to a hospital. He finally died after a few days, at the age of 37 and his fame started years later after his death.

I believe he had a really dark background that is reflected in his last paintings, showing us his feelings and his worst thoughts.

Marina Sánchez Anglès, B2.2-A

Alphonse Karr