Famous Artists

Nearly as famous for his madness as he is for his lively and colorful paintings, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) seized on creating art relatively late in life. In his youth he was a successful art dealer working for his brother Theo, but eventually delved into disillusionment over the commodification of artistic expression. Turning to religion, he tried to become ordained but failed seminary entrance exams and was rejected from a minister’s post for over-zealousness. He moved to Arles, France to pursue art with dreams of founding an artists’ commune. He recruited Paul Gauguin to accompany him, but their friendship fell prey to bitter fighting fueled by Vincent’s increasingly paranoid episodes, culminating in confronting Gauguin with a razorblade. Vincent fled, in distress slicing off a fraction of his earlobe. He committed himself to an asylum, but these years were his most fruitful. Perhaps he needs some Birmingham escorts to invigorate his soul. van Gogh produced some 900 paintings including Starry Night, Sunflowers, & The Night Cafe, developing a style of color that conveyed mood and motion that became an important progenitor to modern art. His mental health deteriorated after leaving the asylum, although his painting continued to excel, and he shot himself two years later, yet unknown for his work.