Vincent Willem van Gogh, a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter, is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. His artistic journey spanned just over a decade, during which he created around 2100 artworks, including approximately 860 oil paintings, most of them in the vibrant last two years of his life. His body of work encompasses landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and self-portraits, noted for their bold colors and dramatic brushwork that contributed to the rise of expressionism in modern art.

Born into an upper-middle-class family, van Gogh exhibited a passion for drawing from an early age. Despite early signs of mental instability and a series of professional and personal setbacks, including a failed career as an art dealer and a bout of depression following his relocation to London, van Gogh's fervent dedication to art never wavered. Supported financially and emotionally by his younger brother, Theo, Vincent took up painting in earnest in 1881.

In 1886, van Gogh moved to Paris, where he was exposed to the works of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist avant-garde, seeds that would germinate into his later revolutionary artistic style. Seeking an artistic retreat, he relocated to Arles in 1888, where his work took on a new dimension with luminous colors and a focus on the natural world.

Despite suffering from psychotic episodes and delusions, van Gogh's dedication to his craft remained unshaken. He spent time in psychiatric hospitals and under the care of Dr. Paul Gachet. Tragically, van Gogh's life was cut short at the age of 37, believed to have ended by his own hand. His work, however, began to receive critical attention in the final year of his life and has since captured the public's imagination, cementing his legacy as an emblem of the tortured artist.

Today, van Gogh's works are celebrated worldwide for their emotional depth and bold use of color, influencing countless artists and securing his position as a towering figure in modern art. His legacy is preserved by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, home to the largest collection of his works.