Homeschool Unit Study: Vincent Van Gogh

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Sometimes, artists from the past leave civilized, thoughtful, but dull lives. Vincent van Gogh went… another way, leaving behind a compelling, highly intense life that was ended from a gunshot wound “for the good of all.” After a messy fight, Van Gogh is famous for having cut a part of his own ear off. He lived penniless, hungry, anxious, and overworked, and that’s part of the greatest tragedy of his life: his genius was not recognized until long after he was gone.

Van Gogh’s life started as it ended: with tragedy. As a young man, he developed severe anxiety issues, emotional issues, and, as though that was not enough, often felt purposeless. He was born in 1853 and, for years, he pursued preaching the gospel before he eventually followed the career path of an artist.

From 1860 to 1880, about the time he started his artistic career, he had gone through a laundry list of relationships and careers, including two loveless romances, a job as an art salesman, a job as a clerk in a bookstore, and a preacher in the Borinage.

His journey from odd jobs to an artist was paved with starts and stops. Eventually, he joined his brother in Paris, where he tried to imitate some of the famous Impressionists but, failing that, he created a unique, bold style. If rumors are to believed, he lived a stressful life marked by anxiety-fueled discussions that lasted through the night, painting all day, and an anxious personality overall. After he cut his own ear lobe off, he was eventually sent to the asylum in Saint-Remy.

In 1890, after a few years at the asylum, he was released. About two months later, he’d shot himself. Later, his works gained prominence and fame. Now, he is viewed as he had probably always hoped: misunderstood, gifted, and important.