Vincent Van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853, in Zundert located in south Netherlands.
At the age of 16 he became an apprentice at Goupil & Cie Internation Art Dealers. He worked in his uncles branch of the establishment. By 1872, Vincent convinced his brother to come and work for him.
Vincent move to Goupil in London. He started to fall in love with the paintings of peasant simple life painted by Jean Francois and Millet Brenton. In the next few years, he started taking up the Bible and lost interest in his work. Then Vincent got transferred to Paris, France. In March 1876, he was dismissed from Goupil. Vincent move back to England in 1876 and started teaching as an assistant preacher at a boarding school. He then moved back to Amsterdam in 1877 when he refused admission to theology school.
Vincent decided to become an artist. He started off with great confidence but was very clumsy. He never gave up. At the end of 1881, he moved out of his parents house and rented a studio. In the summer of 1882, he painted his first independent water color. His uncle had him produce 12 views of The Hague.
Vincent contiued his series of portraits of peasants. He viewed them as his studies. On March 26, his father died and he had to stop his work for some time. In April of 1885 he made his first materpiece call "The Potato Eaters".
In these years, Vincent became very depressed so he moved in his brother Theo's house. Vincent became a heavy drinker and smoker trying to overcome his depression.
He moved south following the sunshine. Vincent now lived in Arels. Here he produced his most painting and some of his most famous ones. On December 23, 1889, he had a fit of madness and found himself hospitalized. After his release, he had another fit on February 7. He was hospitalized again. Vincent then admitted himself to the asylum were he was placed in Dr. Theophile Zarcharie's care. While he was in the asylum, he produced his most famous piece of art "Stary Night". After having two more attacks, he left the asylum on May 16, 1890. Then two months later he died on July 29, 1890, at 1:30 A.M.
