Van Gogh’s Letters

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) was born near Brabant, the son of a minister. Largely self-taught as an artist, he moved to Paris in 1886 and lived with his devoted brother, Theo, who as a dealer introduced him to artists like Gauguin, Pissarro, Toulouse-Lautrec and Seurat. In 1888, he moved to Arles hoping to establish an artists’ colony. He was joined briefly by Gauguin in October 1888, but the visit was not a success. A final argument led to the infamous episode in which van Gogh mutilated his ear. In 1889 he became a voluntary patient at the St. Remy asylum, where he continued to paint. He moved to Auvers to be closer to Theo in 1890. He died, having sold only one work, following a botched suicide attempt.