Lust for Life is about the Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh.
Lust for Life ( 1956 ) is a MGM ( Metrocolor ) biographical film about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh , based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Irving Stone and adapted by Norman Corwin . The film stars Kirk Douglas as Van Gogh , James Donald as his brother Theo , Pamela Brown , Everett Sloane and Anthony Quinn , who won an Oscar for his performance as Van Gogh 's fast friend and rival Paul Gauguin . Vincent Willem van Gogh ( [ ˈvɪnsɛnt ˈʋɪləm vɑn ˈɣɔx ] ; 30 March 185329 July 1890 ) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art .