Vincent van Gogh Is Born

Setting the scene

Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853, in Zundert, Netherlands, son of a Protestant minister. He worked as an art dealer, teacher, and missionary before dedicating himself to painting in his late twenties.

What happened

In under a decade he painted roughly 2,100 works, including Sunflowers and The Starry Night, while struggling with mental illness, poverty, and a fraught friendship with Paul Gauguin in Arles.

Why it still matters

Van Gogh sold few paintings in life; his reputation soared after his 1890 death from a gunshot wound. Memorable detail: he cut off part of his left ear in December 1888 after an argument with Gauguin, wrapped it in paper, and reportedly gave it to a brothel maid.

Background

Starry Night was painted decades later.