Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh was born in the Netherlands. When he was 27 years old, he taught himself how to paint. His brother, Theo, was an art dealer. He recognized Vincent's talent and encouraged him and supported him financially. He introduced him to famous artists who influenced him. Some of his earlier paintings were done in watercolor. Then he started using oil paints. Sometimes he would squeeze the paint directly on the canvas and work with it there. He liked to paint pictures of flowers as shown by his painting, Irises. Another of his early paintings, The Potato Eaters, became one of his most well known works. This is the only picture he ever painted that had a lot of people in it. The setting of this painting is almost cave-like and the colors are dark. In describing the painting himself, he wrote about how the people are eating the potatoes they planted and dug from the earth. He appreciated the fact that they had honestly earned their food. About three years later he painted a still life with potatoes in it, Potatoes in a Yellow Dish. His painting Starry Night became very famous, but he felt that it was not realistic enough. A year earlier he had painted another starry sky picture, Starry Night Over the Rhone. Sometimes his actions were violent and his neighbors were afraid of him. Once he tried to slash an associate, Gauguin, with a razor, and that same night he cut off his own ear. Later he painted some pictures of himself with a bandage over his ear. Interestingly though, he had cut off his left ear, but his right ear was bandaged in the pictures. Do you suppose he was looking in the mirror and just painted what he saw? After the ear incident, he committed himself to an asylum, a mental institution. There were beautiful gardens there. During his stay he painted over 200 pictures including Starry Night. During his lifetime, he produced over 800 oil paintings and even more drawings. He liked to paint scenes from nature, and he tried to show the lives of the common people as they worked at their jobs. During his lifetime Van Gogh was never famous as a painter and struggled to make a living as an artist. Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime, The Red Vineyard. He had no idea that he would become so famous, but after his death people began to appreciate his work. One of his paintings sold for $82.5 million. That's the most anyone has ever paid for a painting. Van Gogh’s life ended sadly in 1890, when at the age of 37, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Name ______________________________________________ Date ____________________________
Vincent Van Gogh
1. How old was Van Gogh when he began to paint? ____________________________________________ 2. Which ear is bandaged in his self-portraits? _________________________________________________ Based on what the biography said, why is this interesting? ____________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. He only sold one painting in his lifetime. What was the name of the painting? ____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Who recognized Vincent's talent, supported him financially, and also introduced him to famous artists? ____________________________________________________________________________________ 5. What kind of scenes did Van Gogh like to paint? ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 6. What is the title of the only picture he ever painted that had a lot of people in it? __________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 7. The most anyone has ever paid for a painting was for a Van Gogh painting. How much did it sell for? ____________________________________________________________________________________ 8. 9. True OR True OR False False False Van Gogh died at the age of 37. Van Gogh was born in France. Van Gogh was very famous while he was alive.
10. True OR
Name ___________Answer Key_____________ Date ____________________________
Vincent Van Gogh
1. How old was Van Gogh when he began to paint? ________________27______________________ 2. Which ear is bandaged in his self-portraits? _____Right Ear____________________________________ Based on what the biography said, why is this interesting? __________he had cut off his left ear, but his right ear was bandaged in the pictures. 3. He only sold one painting in his lifetime. What was the name of the painting? ___ The Red Vineyard ___________________________________________________________ 4. Who recognized Vincent's talent, supported him financially, and also introduced him to famous artists? _________ His brother, Theo _________________________________________________________ 5. What kind of scenes did Van Gogh like to paint? He liked to paint scenes from nature 6. What is the title of the only picture he ever painted that had a lot of people in it? The Potato Eaters 7. The most anyone has ever paid for a painting was for a Van Gogh painting. How much did it sell for? $82.5 million. 8. 9. True OR True OR False False False Van Gogh died at the age of 37. Van Gogh was born in France. Van Gogh was very famous while he was alive.
10. True OR