Vincent Van Gogh was a Dutch painter of the 19th century.Post impressionism was the style of painting that he followed.Although he began painting only in his late 20s and died at the age of 37,for 10 years he was a prolific painter and he left hundreds of paintings and drawings behind.

Misunderstood and ostracized during his lifetime,he lived a difficult life and his problems included severe poverty and mental illness.He was considered a failure during his lifetime and officially managed to sell just one painting during his life although towards the end ,he was beginning to receive critical acclaim atleast from his fellow artists. Ironically, during the 20th century, some of his paintings were some of the most expensive paintings ever sold.

The sunflowers ,starry night and the potato eaters are some of his famous works and most of his best pieces were produced during his final years when he was grappling with mental illness.It was during this time that he cut off his own ear after an argument with a fellow painter(Paul Gaugian) and for some time was confined to an asylum.

Throughout his attempted painting career,Van Gogh was supported financially and emotionally by his younger brother Theo who was an art dealer himself.Theo died not long after Vincent’s death and his widow Johanna Bonger was left with Vincent’s vast collection of paintings and letters.It was she who managed to market successfully the works of her brother in law after his death.

Vincent Van Gogh took up painting only after he had tried his hand at  several other professions in his teens and early twenties.He received money from his brother during his painting career and although he spent liberally on paints and canvases,he neglected his own physical health and ate poorly.

He died under mysterious circumstances and his death was believed for a long time to be a suicide athough new evidence has indicated that he might have been murdered ,possibly accidentally by a 16 year old village bully.