Question

Your turn to write!

Answer 1

A three paragraph essay about the best and worst times in Vincent Van Gogh’s life:

Vincent Van Gogh was one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. For him, colours were the medium of expression. Born in Holland in March, 1853, this son of a pastor was very emotional, had zero self-confidence and always faced a struggle with his own identity and direction. He believed that preaching the gospel was the aim of his life but it took him years to realise the true calling – that he would be an artist. During this phase, he had experienced two unhappy romances and had worked as a clerk in a bookstore, an art salesman unsuccessfully. He even worked as a preacher in the Borinage where he was dismissed for being fanatical.

He stayed in Belgium and studied art, his aim being delivering happiness through the creation of beauty. His early works are sharply lit, sombre-toned, genre paintings. The most famous is "The Potato Eaters" (1885). Two years later, he went to South Arles along with Gauguin to establish a school of art but the results are disastrous. Van’s nervous temperament and his night-long discussions along with painting all day affected his health. At the end of the year, Van pursued Gauguin with an open razor and a portion of his own ear lobe was cut off. Due to his fits of madness and lucidity, he was sent to Saint-Remy for treatment. In May 1890, he was better and went to live in Auvers-sur-Oise under the watchful eye of Dr. Gachet. Two months later, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Vincent Van Gogh had a brief career where he sold only one painting. He was poor, malnourished and overworked. Whatever money he got from his brother was spent on art supplies, coffee and cigarettes. His finest work was produced in less than three years in a technique which was a powerful fusion of form and content. It had the dramatic elements which were lyrically rhythmic, emotional and imaginative. Either Vincent wanted to explain his struggle against madness or wanted to show the spiritual essence of man and nature. Though his success was short-lived, his legacy still has an impact in the arena of art .