Vincent van Gogh | Biography, Art, & Facts | Britannica
Vincent van Gogh (born March 30, 1853, Zundert, Netherlands—died July 29, 1890, Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, France) was a Dutch painter, ...
Vincent van Gogh \| Biography, Art, & Facts \| Britannica

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[Vincent van Gogh](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vincent-van-Gogh)

Table of Contents


- [Introduction & Top Questions](/biography/Vincent-van-Gogh)

- [Early life](/biography/Vincent-van-Gogh#ref2761)

- [The productive decade](/biography/Vincent-van-Gogh/The-productive-decade)

- [Legacy](/biography/Vincent-van-Gogh/Legacy)


[References & Edit History](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vincent-van-Gogh/additional-info) [Quick Facts & Related Topics](/facts/Vincent-van-Gogh)

[Images, Videos & Interactives](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vincent-van-Gogh/images-videos)

[![Vincent van Gogh: Self-Portrait](https://cdn.britannica.com/36/69636-004-214B0CBD/Self-Portrait-artist-panel-board-Vincent-van-Gogh-1887.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/36/69636-050-81A93193/Self-Portrait-artist-panel-board-Vincent-van-Gogh-1887.jpg)[![Vincent van Gogh: The Starry Night](https://cdn.britannica.com/78/43678-004-8F18BDDF/Starry-Night-canvas-Vincent-van-Gogh-New-1889.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/78/43678-050-F4DC8D93/Starry-Night-canvas-Vincent-van-Gogh-New-1889.jpg)[![See how Vincent van Gogh's Post-Impressionism influenced Fauves and German Expressionists](https://cdn.britannica.com/89/196489-138-8770A1D5/Vincent-van-Gogh-life-work.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](/video/196489/Vincent-van-Gogh-life-work)[![Vincent van Gogh: The Old Tower in the Fields](https://cdn.britannica.com/41/181941-004-C8AF7CE9/Old-Tower-canvas-oil-cardboard-Fields-Vincent-1884.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/41/181941-050-DBEBA6D5/Old-Tower-canvas-oil-cardboard-Fields-Vincent-1884.jpg)[![Vincent van Gogh: The Potato Eaters](https://cdn.britannica.com/57/211157-004-B2548EB9/Vincent-van-Gogh-The-Potato-Eaters-1885-Van-Gogh-Museum-Amsterdam.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/57/211157-050-06EC285B/Vincent-van-Gogh-The-Potato-Eaters-1885-Van-Gogh-Museum-Amsterdam.jpg)[![Vincent van Gogh: Fishing in Spring, the Pont de Clichy (Asnières)](https://cdn.britannica.com/26/255626-004-5953FB54/fishing-in-spring-pont-de-clichy-vincent-van-gogh.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/26/255626-050-00C4F4E3/fishing-in-spring-pont-de-clichy-vincent-van-gogh.jpg)[![Vincent van Gogh: Self-Portrait](https://cdn.britannica.com/90/195990-004-EEB89074/Self-Portrait-Vincent-van-Gogh-Rijksmuseum-Amsterdam-1887.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/90/195990-050-4DD68279/Self-Portrait-Vincent-van-Gogh-Rijksmuseum-Amsterdam-1887.jpg)[![Connecting the dots: What is pointillism?](https://cdn.britannica.com/41/256641-138-E86BCA6B/explanation-of-pointillism-art-style.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](/video/256641/explanation-of-pointillism-art-style)[![Vincent van Gogh: The Bedroom](https://cdn.britannica.com/78/69678-004-298D509A/Bedroom-oil-canvas-Vincent-van-Gogh-Art-1889.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/78/69678-050-491A5ED8/Bedroom-oil-canvas-Vincent-van-Gogh-Art-1889.jpg)[![Vincent van Gogh: Portrait of Joseph Roulin](https://cdn.britannica.com/22/134022-004-20148112/Portrait-Joseph-Roulin-oil-canvas-France-Arles-1889.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/22/134022-050-8F6CF8E5/Portrait-Joseph-Roulin-oil-canvas-France-Arles-1889.jpg)

For Students


[![](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-124/images/shared/default3.png?v=3.124.51)](/summary/Vincent-van-Gogh)

[Vincent van Gogh summary](/summary/Vincent-van-Gogh)

Quizzes


[![(Left) Ball of predictions with answers to questions based on the Magic 8 Ball; (right): Rubik's Cube. (toys)](https://cdn.britannica.com/07/254407-131-F27C44C4/ball-of-predictions-and-Rubiks-Cube.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/quiz/the-dating-game-which-came-first)

[The Dating Game: Which Came First?](/quiz/the-dating-game-which-came-first)

[![Color pastels, colored chalk, colorful chalk. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, history and society](https://cdn.britannica.com/74/129374-131-833AE3CF/Chalk.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/quiz/ultimate-art-quiz)

[Ultimate Art Quiz](/quiz/ultimate-art-quiz)

[![Close-up of a palette held by a man. Mixing paint, painting, color mixing.](https://cdn.britannica.com/85/151885-131-F94726A4/Close-up-man-palette-color-mixing-paint-painting.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/quiz/artists-painters-architects)

[Artists, Painters, & Architects](/quiz/artists-painters-architects)

[![Self-Portrait, oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1889; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Overall: 57.2 x 43.8 cm., framed: 82.9 x 69.2 x 6.7 cm.](https://cdn.britannica.com/83/190483-131-483D5B69/Self-Portrait-canvas-Vincent-van-Gogh-National-Gallery-1889.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/quiz/name-that-artist)

[Name That Artist](/quiz/name-that-artist)

[![Artist paint brushes and watercolor paintbox on wooden palette. Instruments and tools for creative leisure. Creative background. Paintings art concept. Painting hobby. Back to school. Top view.](https://cdn.britannica.com/76/219376-131-8501C217/artists-brushes-paints.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/quiz/quick-quiz-can-you-name-the-artists-of-these-paintings-from-a-description)

[Quick Quiz: Can You Name the Artists of These Paintings from a Description?](/quiz/quick-quiz-can-you-name-the-artists-of-these-paintings-from-a-description)

Related Questions


- [Who was Vincent van Gogh?](/question/Who-was-Vincent-van-Gogh)

Read Next


[![The Night Cafe (Le cafe de nuit), oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1888; Yale University Art Gallery. 72.4 x 92.1 cm.](https://cdn.britannica.com/33/189333-131-145160DC/Vincent-van-Gogh-The-Night-Cafe-1888-Yale-University-Art-Museum.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/5-paintings-by-vincent-van-gogh-that-are-even-better-in-person)

[5 Paintings by Vincent van Gogh That Are Even Better in Person](/list/5-paintings-by-vincent-van-gogh-that-are-even-better-in-person)

[!["Self-Portrait with Straw Hat (verso: The Potato Peeler)," oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1887. In the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 40.6 x 31.8 cm.](https://cdn.britannica.com/80/96380-131-DBA491C6/Self-Portrait-canvas-Straw-Hat-Vincent-van-Gogh-1887.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/story/the-dramatic-life-of-vincent-van-gogh)

[The Dramatic Life of Vincent van Gogh](/story/the-dramatic-life-of-vincent-van-gogh)

[![Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio), 1483-1520. The vision of the prophet Ezekiel, 1518. Wood, 40 x 30 cm. Inv 174. Galleria Palatina, Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy](https://cdn.britannica.com/91/144191-131-322D485A/Raphael-Ezekiel-vision-Wood-Galleria-Palatina-Palazzo-1518.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/13-artists-who-died-untimely-deaths)

[13 Artists Who Died Untimely Deaths](/list/13-artists-who-died-untimely-deaths)

[![Vincent Van Gogh, Self Portrait. Oil on canvas, 1887.](https://cdn.britannica.com/55/115955-131-8AAC7E2F/Vincent-Van-Gogh-Self-Portrait-Oil-canvas-1887.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/6-rediscovered-artists)

[Rediscovered Artists: 6 Big Names That Time Almost Forgot](/list/6-rediscovered-artists)

[![Aerial view of Florence (Firenze), Italy from the campanile of the Duomo, with the gigantic dome (designed by Filippo Brunelleschi) in the foreground. Unidentifiable tourists are visible on top of the dome, which provide a measure of the building s scale.](https://cdn.britannica.com/67/215467-131-5A200489/Aerial-view-dome-Cathedral-Santa-Maria-del-Fiore-Florence-Italy.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/25-famous-paintings-to-see-the-next-time-youre-in-florence)

[25 Famous Paintings to See the Next Time You’re in Florence](/list/25-famous-paintings-to-see-the-next-time-youre-in-florence)

Discover


[![Russian grand duchess Anastasia; undated photograph. (Anastasiya Nikolayevna, Tsar Nicholas II)](https://cdn.britannica.com/68/194168-131-CFE3851A/Anastasia.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/story/did-duchess-anastasia-survive-her-familys-execution)

[Did Duchess Anastasia Survive Her Family’s Execution?](/story/did-duchess-anastasia-survive-her-familys-execution)

[![The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/159994-131-8E828D22/Battle-of-New-Orleans-oil-painting-E-1910.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/story/25-decade-defining-events-in-us-history)

[26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History](/story/25-decade-defining-events-in-us-history)

[![Map view of Europe on a geographical globe.](https://cdn.britannica.com/24/199024-131-FFEE0BC4/Map-view-globe-Europe.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/story/where-does-the-name-europe-come-from)

[Where Does the Name _Europe_ Come From?](/story/where-does-the-name-europe-come-from)

[![A group of diverse individuals, who represent various occupations, stand with their arms raised in the air. labor day; laborers; construction worker; teacher; nurse; doctor; assistant; office staff; blue collar; workforce](https://cdn.britannica.com/40/239640-131-052DF02A/diverse-group-occupations-workforce.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/story/why-is-labor-day-celebrated-in-september)

[Why Is Labor Day Celebrated in September?](/story/why-is-labor-day-celebrated-in-september)

[![Figure 13: A Maxim machine gun, belt-fed and water-cooled, operated by German infantrymen, World War I.](https://cdn.britannica.com/28/60728-131-36BD65EF/infantrymen-German-Maxim-World-War-I-machine.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/7-deadliest-weapons-in-history)

[7 Deadliest Weapons in History](/list/7-deadliest-weapons-in-history)

[![Close-up of ostriches (Struthio camelus) necks and heads; location unknown.](https://cdn.britannica.com/58/152058-131-0EB52C8F/Ostriches.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/6-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-birds)

[6 of the World's Most Dangerous Birds](/list/6-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-birds)

[![Beautiful adult three colored calico longhair cat](https://cdn.britannica.com/35/197235-131-4ED20709/longhair-cat.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](/list/longhair-cat-breeds)

[Longhair Cat Breeds](/list/longhair-cat-breeds)


Contents


[Visual Arts](/browse/Visual-Arts)[Painting](/browse/Painting)[Painters](/browse/Painters)

[![](https://cdn.britannica.com/36/69636-050-81A93193/Self-Portrait-artist-panel-board-Vincent-van-Gogh-1887.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/36/69636-050-81A93193/Self-Portrait-artist-panel-board-Vincent-van-Gogh-1887.jpg)

[Vincent van Gogh: _Self-Portrait_](https://cdn.britannica.com/36/69636-050-81A93193/Self-Portrait-artist-panel-board-Vincent-van-Gogh-1887.jpg) _Self-Portrait_, oil on artist's board on cradled panel by Vincent van Gogh, 1887; in the Art Institute of Chicago.(more)

# Vincent van Gogh

Dutch painter



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External Websites


- [The Met - Biography of Vincent van Gogh](https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/gogh/hd_gogh.htm)
- [Artnet - Biography of Vincent van Gogh](https://www.artnet.com/artists/vincent-van-gogh/)
- [Art Encyclopedia - Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)](http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-artists/van-gogh.htm)
- [World History Encyclopedia - Biography of Vincent van Gogh](https://www.worldhistory.org/Vincent_van_Gogh/)
- [Art in Context - Vincent van Gogh - The Art and Life of Painter Vincent Willem van Gogh](https://artincontext.org/vincent-van-gogh/)
- [Web Gallery of Art - Biography of Vincent van Gogh](https://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/g/gogh_van/)
- [The Art Story - Biography of Vincent Van Gogh](https://www.theartstory.org/artist/van-gogh-vincent/)

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

- [Vincent van Gogh - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Vincent-van-Gogh/390596)
- [Vincent van Gogh - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Vincent-van-Gogh/277551)



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- [The Met - Biography of Vincent van Gogh](https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/gogh/hd_gogh.htm)
- [Artnet - Biography of Vincent van Gogh](https://www.artnet.com/artists/vincent-van-gogh/)
- [Art Encyclopedia - Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)](http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-artists/van-gogh.htm)
- [World History Encyclopedia - Biography of Vincent van Gogh](https://www.worldhistory.org/Vincent_van_Gogh/)
- [Art in Context - Vincent van Gogh - The Art and Life of Painter Vincent Willem van Gogh](https://artincontext.org/vincent-van-gogh/)
- [Web Gallery of Art - Biography of Vincent van Gogh](https://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/g/gogh_van/)
- [The Art Story - Biography of Vincent Van Gogh](https://www.theartstory.org/artist/van-gogh-vincent/)

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

- [Vincent van Gogh - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Vincent-van-Gogh/390596)
- [Vincent van Gogh - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Vincent-van-Gogh/277551)

Also known as: Vincent Willem van Gogh


Written and fact-checked by


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\
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.](/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419)

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated:

Aug 17, 2024
• [Article History](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vincent-van-Gogh/additional-info#history)


Table of Contents


Quick Facts

In full: Vincent Willem van Gogh_(Show more)_

Born: March 30, 1853, Zundert, [Netherlands](/place/Netherlands)_(Show more)_

Died: July 29, 1890, Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, [France](/place/France) (aged 37)_(Show more)_

Notable Works: [“Portrait of Dr. Gachet”](/topic/Portrait-of-Dr-Gachet)[“Starry Night over the Rhône”](/topic/Starry-Night-over-the-Rhone)[“The Potato Eaters”](/topic/The-Potato-Eaters)[“The Starry Night”](/topic/The-Starry-Night)_(Show more)_

Movement / Style: [Expressionism](/art/Expressionism)[Post-Impressionism](/art/Post-Impressionism)[Symbolism](/art/Symbolism-literary-and-artistic-movement)_(Show more)_

[See all related content →](/facts/Vincent-van-Gogh)

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Top Questions


### Who was Vincent van Gogh?

Vincent van Gogh was a [Dutch](https://www.britannica.com/place/Netherlands) painter, generally considered to be the greatest after [Rembrandt van Rijn](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn), and one of the greatest of the [Post-Impressionists](https://www.britannica.com/art/Post-Impressionism). He sold only one artwork during his life, but in the century after his death he became perhaps the most recognized painter of all time.

### What did Vincent van Gogh accomplish?

During his 10-year [artistic](https://www.britannica.com/art/visual-arts) career, Vincent van Gogh created a vivid personal style, noted for its striking colour, emphatic brushwork, and contoured forms. His achievement is all the more remarkable for the brevity of his career and considering the poverty and [mental illness](https://www.britannica.com/science/mental-disorder) that dogged him.

### What were Vincent van Gogh’s jobs?

Vincent van Gogh’s career as an [artist](https://www.britannica.com/art/visual-arts) was extremely short, lasting only the 10 years from 1880 to 1890. Before that he had various occupations, including [art dealer](https://www.britannica.com/money/art-market), language teacher, lay preacher, bookseller, and missionary worker.

### How was Vincent van Gogh influential?

The work of Vincent van Gogh exerted a powerful influence on the development of much modern painting, notably [Expressionism](https://www.britannica.com/art/Expressionism), in particular on the works of the [Fauve](https://www.britannica.com/art/Fauvism) painters, [Chaim Soutine](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Chaim-Soutine), and the German Expressionists.

### What is Vincent van Gogh remembered for?

Vincent van Gogh is remembered for both the striking colour, emphatic brushwork, and contoured forms of his [art](https://www.britannica.com/art/visual-arts) and for the turmoil of his personal life. In part because of his extensive published letters, van Gogh has been mythologized in the popular imagination as the quintessential tortured artist.

## Recent News

Aug. 17, 2024, 4:30 PM ET (AP)


[Fire breaks out at London's Somerset House, home to priceless works by Van Gogh, Cezanne](/news/237118/cd890fabd1519d734e894751b4097f96)

[![](https://cdn.britannica.com/78/43678-050-F4DC8D93/Starry-Night-canvas-Vincent-van-Gogh-New-1889.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/78/43678-050-F4DC8D93/Starry-Night-canvas-Vincent-van-Gogh-New-1889.jpg)

[Vincent van Gogh: _The Starry Night_](https://cdn.britannica.com/78/43678-050-F4DC8D93/Starry-Night-canvas-Vincent-van-Gogh-New-1889.jpg) _The Starry Night_, oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1889; in the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.(more)

**Vincent van Gogh** (born March 30, 1853, Zundert, Netherlands—died July 29, 1890, Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, France) was a Dutch painter, generally considered the greatest after [Rembrandt van Rijn](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn), and one of the greatest of the [Post-Impressionists](https://www.britannica.com/art/Post-Impressionism). The striking color, emphatic brushwork, and [contoured](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contoured) forms of his work powerfully influenced the current of [Expressionism](https://www.britannica.com/art/Expressionism) in modern art. Van Gogh’s art became astoundingly popular after his death, especially in the late 20th century, when his work sold for record-breaking sums at auctions around the world and was featured in blockbuster touring exhibitions. In part because of his extensive published letters, van Gogh has also been mythologized in the popular imagination as the quintessential tortured artist.

## Early life

Van Gogh, the eldest of six children of a [Protestant](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Protestantism) pastor, was born and reared in a small village in the [Brabant](https://www.britannica.com/place/Brabant) region of the southern Netherlands. He was a quiet, self-contained [youth](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/youth), spending his free time wandering the countryside to observe nature. At 16 he was apprenticed to [The Hague](https://www.britannica.com/place/The-Hague) branch of the art dealers Goupil and Co., of which his uncle was a partner.

Van Gogh worked for Goupil in [London](https://www.britannica.com/place/London) from 1873 to May 1875 and in [Paris](https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris) from that date until April 1876. Daily contact with works of art aroused his artistic sensibility, and he soon formed a taste for [Rembrandt](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rembrandt-van-Rijn), [Frans Hals](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frans-Hals), and other Dutch masters, although his preference was for two contemporary French painters, [Jean-François Millet](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Francois-Millet-French-painter-1814-1875) and [Camille Corot](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Camille-Corot), whose influence was to last throughout his life. Van Gogh disliked art dealing. Moreover, his approach to life darkened when his love was rejected by a London girl in 1874. His burning desire for human affection thwarted, he became increasingly solitary. He worked as a language teacher and lay preacher in England and, in 1877, worked for a bookseller in [Dordrecht](https://www.britannica.com/place/Dordrecht), [Netherlands](https://www.britannica.com/place/Netherlands). Impelled by a longing to serve humanity, he [envisaged](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/envisaged) entering the ministry and took up theology; however, he abandoned this project in 1878 for short-term training as an evangelist in [Brussels](https://www.britannica.com/place/Brussels). A conflict with authority ensued when he disputed the orthodox doctrinal approach. Failing to get an appointment after three months, he left to do missionary work among the impoverished population of the [Borinage](https://www.britannica.com/place/Borinage-region-Belgium), a coal-mining region in southwestern Belgium. There, in the winter of 1879–80, he experienced the first great spiritual crisis of his life. Living among the poor, he gave away all his worldly goods in an impassioned moment; he was thereupon dismissed by church authorities for a too-literal interpretation of Christian teaching.

Penniless and feeling that his faith was destroyed, he sank into despair and [withdrew](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/withdrew) from everyone. “They think I’m a madman,” he told an acquaintance, “because I wanted to be a true Christian. They turned me out like a dog, saying that I was causing a scandal.” It was then that van Gogh began to draw seriously, thereby discovering in 1880 his true vocation as an artist. Van Gogh decided that his mission from then on would be to bring consolation to humanity through art. “I want to give the wretched a brotherly message,” he explained to his brother Theo. “When I sign \[my paintings\] ‘Vincent,’ it is as one of them.” This realization of his creative powers restored his self-confidence.