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Vincent Van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter. Sadly he became famous and successful posthumously. He is one of the most influential figures in the history of Western art. While his success is widely appreciated by the whole world today, little do we know about the tedious path he took to reach it. He faced a lot of failures and rejections that tore him part. But despite all these hurdles he never let go his passion. That determination has taken him heights and has made him establish himself in front of the world.
Vincent Van Gogh’s early failures :
Vincent van Gogh was born in Holland in 1853 and was one of six children born to Anna Cornelia Carbentus and Reverend Theodorus van Gogh, a protestant minister. Right from his childhood, Vincent never showed any interest towards art. Little did he know back then that this would change his life so much. The first major failure happened after he had a bad heartbreak. Vincent was determined to enter the pastorate. Unfortunately, he failed the required entrance exam to begin his theological education. Following this his life happened to be moving a certain theme : failure after failure, disappointment after disappointment.
Vincent was not a quitter. Despite the back to back failures and rejections, he kept moving forward. He wanted to the prove the world about his capability and kept trying new things. He had this urge to do something significant with his life. Every time he failed, Vincent grew reflective, asking himself what he was doing wrong. At a certain point he decided that art was his take and started pursuing it with utmost jest. Vincent’s paintings were so bizarre and offensive that people never really appreciated his works. Things changed when he met a group of French painters. He realized that his dense paint and broad brushstrokes full of bright, vibrant colors had a name: Impressionism. Therefore things changed there and he kept working on several paintings. Unfortunately he wasn’t there to witness the enormous success story he paved up for himself through his extraordinary art works.
Vincent Van Gogh was a man of perseverance. Though at times he gave up, he made sure to never let go his passion. The several challenges and hurdles that came up his way tore him down. His career as an artist was short-lived, lasting only ten years. His brother was the one to finance most of his career and during his entire life he made very little money. But things hanged after his passing away for his sister in law let the whole world know about his artistic talent. His works are now considered some of the most valuable in the world. Therefore the sole reason for Vincent’s success was his determination to follow his passion.
Life lessons from Vincent Van Gogh’s life :
The major lesson from Vincent Van Gogh’s life is trusting the process. Always have faith in the process during hard times. Never give up on your dreams. Keep chasing it with utmost dedication and persistence. View life as an opportunity for creation. See light in everything and keep yourself motivated. He once said, “the heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths, it has its pearls too.” There is not right way, experimentation is the way to self discovery and always believe in your abilities. Keep working towards making a difference through your efforts and determination.
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How many times did Van Gogh paint himself?
Vincent van Gogh painted over 30 self-portraits between the years 1886 and 1889. His collection of self-portraits places him among the most prolific self-portraitists of all time.
What inspired Vincent van Gogh?
Van Gogh had varied inspirations, including Dutch genre painting and the realist paintings of Millet and his contemporaries, but he was particularly influenced by Japanese woodblock prints.