There isn’t a single person in this world who hasn’t heard of Vincent Van Gogh, and we learn about his art from a very young age. We know the basics of his life and we know the basics of his paintings, but there are some extremely interesting things that most of us don’t know about. Vincent was much more than just an artist, his life was more complex than most of us can understand. If you want to know more about his art, life, and death, you should check out these interesting facts about Vincent Willem van Gogh that you probably didn’t know.
1. He was not the only Vincent in the family
One of the things that not many people know is that Vincent had five siblings, and out of those five, he had two brothers and three sisters. He was the oldest living child in the family.
He was the closest to his brother Theo and the one who took care of Vincent throughout his life. Theo was a man who fully supported his brother and gave Vincent money so that he could survive.
However, Vincent was not the first to be named that way, and a year before his birth, his parents lost a son who bore the same name as the famous artist: Vincent Willem van Gogh. A year after the death of the newborn, the artist was born and the parents decided to name him after the child they had lost.
2. He didn’t start painting until later in his life
Most artists we know started playing with brushes and canvases from a young age, but Vincent was different. He is one of those people who didn’t realize his potential until quite late in life.
He didn’t start painting until he was 26, and his first painting was recorded to have begun in late 1889 while he was in the hospital garden. From then on he explored his gift, and throughout his life, he never stopped working on works of art that gave meaning to his life.
Unlike many other famous artists, Vincent didn’t take any art classes,s and everything he knew he taught himself. Although he wanted to attend art school, he could only afford it four years before his death.
3. He created more art than we know about
We all know Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, but not many people know how many pieces of art Vincent created. Records indicate that he had over 2,000 pieces of art in his collection, and around 900 of them were paintings.
Another interesting fact is that Vincent painted most of the paintings in the last two years of his life and continued painting until his deathbed.
4. His style is one-of-a-kind
We all know Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, but not many people know how many works of art Vincent created. Records indicate that he had over 2,000 works of art in his collection, and around 900 of them were paintings.
Another interesting fact is that Vincent painted most of the paintings in the last two years of his life and continued painting until his death.
5. He wasn’t successful when he was alive
This is a fact that some people know, but not most of us. When we think of successful people who were the best at what they did, we assume that Vincent was as famous in his time as he is now. The reality is that no one understood his art and no one was interested in his creations when he was actively painting.
During his lifetime he sold only one of his works, titled “Red Vineyard.” Some say that it is a tragedy and that he never saw how important it was and still is, but others say that the fact that he was not successful is the reason why he created so much heartfelt art that will forever be famous and priceless.
6. He dealt with a lot of health issues
This is a fact that some people know, but not most of us. When we think of successful people who were the best at what they did, we assume that Vincent was as famous in his time as he is now. The reality is that no one understood his art and no one was interested in his creations when he was actively painting.
During his lifetime he sold only one of his works, titled “Red Vineyard.” Some say that it is a tragedy and that he never realized how important he was and still is, but others say that the fact that he was not successful is the reason why he created so much heartfelt art that will forever be famous and priceless.
Read also: Top 3 courses to study remotely at the European School of Arts
