A Closer Look
Though Van Gogh created over 800 paintings and 1,300 works on paper, he only sold one piece during his lifetime – a painting entitled Red Vineyards at Arles (1888).
He signed his paintings “Vincent” because the French had difficulty pronouncing “Van Gogh.”
Being an insomniac provided the artist extra time to write letters to family and friends; he probably penned 2,000 letters total, more than 800 to his brother Theo alone.
The artist also spent a lot of time reading – novels and poetry, in different languages; Van Gogh could speak, read and write in Dutch, German, French, and English – and a little bit of Greek to boot.
Above all, since childhood, Vincent loved to be out in nature – walking in wheatfields or among the orchards (apparently he was an exceptionally fast walker), observing moths and admiring blossoming branches, capturing his sensations of the natural world out-of-doors through his art.
For a more intimate look at Van Gogh’s art and his story, go to the Gallery section of the app.