Born from a strict, Calvinist family came an artist who would live on in infamy. Vincent Van Gogh was an easily moved individual, who was quick in temperament and hostility. Many historians speculate that Van Gogh suffered from mania, lunacy, to sever psychosis.

(Self-portrait with Felt Hat, 1888)

It is unsure what was behind his madness, but one thing is for sure, the man was brilliant and he paved the way to a type of Impressionism that was never before seen. He had developed his own style of Impressionism using short choppy strokes, with pulsating, radiant colors.

(Japonaiserie: The Actor (after Keisai Yeisen, 1888)

The use of his colors were vibrant, rich, and they possessed a spiritual value that would take precedence over how Van Gogh would paint in the last years of his life. The color yellow was used in many of Van Gogh’s paintings, and his good friend Gauguin even claimed that it was his favorite color.

(Gauguin’s Armchair, 1888)

It is possible that Van Gogh could have suffered from xanthopsia (an abnormal yellow vision), hence his preference to yellow.

(Café Terrace at Night, 1888)

It is also known that Van Gogh was an admirer of absinthe, which in those days, contained thujone, camphor, and pinene (a constituent of turpentine). Absinthe was known to cause hallucinations in its drinkers.

(Glass of Absinthe and a Carafe, 1887)

It is unknown if perhaps his love of absinthe, or the possibility of his supposed illnesses may have led to his extraction of his ear and subsequent suicide.

(Self-portrait with Bandaged ear, 1889)

(Wheat Filed with Cypresses, 1889)

On many occasions, he had threatened suicide, and he became obsessed with the idea of it. Many of his famous paintings include cypresses (as symbol of death), and swirls (symbolic for suicidal tendencies).

(The Starry Night, 1889)

He had often claimed that he was not meant long for this life, and many believe that he had premeditated his own death. It is purported that a letter was found at his deathbed, which was a final letter to a draft. Van Gogh was miserable with his works, having only sold one in his entire career.

(The Red Vineyard, 1888; the only painting Van Gogh sold in his lifetime)

Becoming increasingly more morose, he took his own life from an inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 37. He died two days later in his brother Theo’s arms.

(Emperor Moth, 1889)

Although Van Gogh managed to find public exposure during the last few years of his life, his beautiful works went largely unappreciated. It is impossible to fathom that a man with such talent could go unnoticed in his time, yet command the greatest respect and highest prices for his works today.