Who hasn’t heard about Vincent van Gogh, the famous Dutch painter. But did you know that there are many geeky van Gogh facts not many people ever heard about? Read on and find out!
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Table of contents
- Vincent van Gogh
- Surprising Facts about Vincent van Gogh
- The First Vincent van Gogh was Stillborn…
- Where was Vincent Born? Yes, it was a Homebirth.
- The van Goghs Brady Bunch! Vincent’s siblings.
- Homeschooling For The Win
- Vincent was the Son of a Preacher Man…
- Amsterdam, Paris and New York City. A Can’t Lose Van Gogh Trifecta.
- Which Art School did Vincent van Gogh Attend?
- Hello Darkness My Old Friend…
- Where and How did Vincent Die?
- Conclusion Vincent van Gogh Facts
- Pin Geeky Vincent Van Gogh Facts
Vincent van Gogh
Most people know Vincent van Gogh as a “crazy” painter who cut off his own ear. And who hasn’t seen pictures of Sunflowers and Starry Night? But not many people know about his siblings and that the first Vincent van Gogh actually was still born. Or even where he was born or what his father did for a living. So enjoy reading more about this amazing painter!
Surprising Facts about Vincent van Gogh
When Vincent van Gogh was born on 30 March 1853, he wasn’t the first son named Vincent.
The First Vincent van Gogh was Stillborn…
In fact, exactly one year before the famous Vincent Willem van Gogh was born, his mother Anna Carbentus gave birth to his older brother, also named Vincent Willem van Gogh. Sadly, this Vincent was stillborn. So the famous Vincent was actually their second son with the exact same name. Luckily the second Vincent survived into adulthood and painted many master pieces.
In Zundert, where both Vincents were born, you can still visit the grave stone of the first Vincent Willem van Gogh, with a bible quote from the gospel of Mark “Let the little children come to me, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (translated from Dutch “Laat de kinderkens tot mij komen want derzulken is het koningrijk Gods.”
Where was Vincent Born? Yes, it was a Homebirth.
Vincent’s was born at home in Zundert, a small town in the South of The Netherlands. Currently, the location of his house is an interesting museum, the Vincent van Gogh Huis. Lots of info inside the museum, and also an opportunity to visit Vincent’s backyard, where he spent a lot of time.
The van Goghs Brady Bunch! Vincent’s siblings.
Although Vincent’s elder brother was still born, he did have younger siblings who grew up with him. There were six surviving kids, just like the Brady Bunch.
His five surviving siblings were
- Anna Cornelia (1855-1930) At 19 years old, she moved to Great Britain where she taught French and later worked as a Lady’s companion;
- Theodorus (Theo) (1857-1891) As a successful art dealer, Theo was very close to Vincent and he supported him both financially and emotionally;
- Elisabeth (Lies) Huberta (1859-1936) After serving as a Lady’s Companion to Catharina van Willes for 9 years, she married that lady’s widower after Catherine died. They had five children;
- Willemina (Wil) Jacoba (1862-1941) Vincent’s youngest sister spent some time with her sister, Anna, in England. Later she worked as a nanny while living with her mother. As a strong feminist, she joined a committee for the “National exhibition of women’s work”. Similar to Vincent, she suffered from mental illness and spent the last 40 years of her life in an asylum.
- Cornelious (Cor) Vincent (1867-1900) Because of being so much younger, Cor didn’t have much in common with his older brothers. Trained as an engineer, he moved to South Africa when he was 21 years old. Cor was listed as killed in action during the Anglo-Boer war in which he served as a volunteer.
In addition to a maid and a cook (instead of Alice the housekeeper), the van Gogh Bunch had a governess to ensure proper education.
Homeschooling For The Win
Although he briefly attended the village school, most of Vincent’s education happened at home. Vincent’s mother and a governess educated together with his siblings till he went to a boarding school at 12 years old.
In addition to languages and bible study, lots of the schooling happened outdoors, in their big backyard. Maybe Vincent’s love of nature started right at home during these backyard explorations.
Vincent was the Son of a Preacher Man…
Vincent’s father Theodorus van Gogh was a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church. Even if his salary was small, the church provided him with a house, a maid, and a cook. The church also gave him a carriage and horse.
Watching his father, Vincent himself embarked on a religious career. At 25 years old, he moved to his uncle’s house in Amsterdam to prepare for the theology entrance exam for the University of Amsterdam. After failing that exam, he moved to Belgium to take (and fail!) a three-month course at a Protestant missionary school in Laken, Belgium.
Notwithstanding Vincent’s failures in these endeavors, he still became a missionary in a poor coal mining district in Belgium. He felt strongly that he should suffer just like his constituents. So he gave away his room to a homeless person and moved to a squalid hut.
Looking in dismay at Vincent’s actions, the church authorities considered this behavior “too extreme” and fired him from his missionary position. So “Like father, like son.” didn’t really apply to Vincent and his preacher father. But something good came out of his failure as a minister, he now was free to focus on art instead of religion.
Amsterdam, Paris and New York City. A Can’t Lose Van Gogh Trifecta.
Nowadays we can see many of van Gogh’s paintings on line and in reproductions, but there is something magical about actually seeing his work in real life. Here are some places to visit.
Visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam
If you want to see the full spectrum of Vincent’s life and work, visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The museum contains the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings and drawings in the world. Located close to the Rijksmuseum, it is a must-see when you visit Amsterdam.
When we visited Amsterdam, we used an Amex Free Weekend Certificate to stay in the Waldorf Astoria. Such a cool place!
When you do visit the Netherlands, the Goldfinch painting is only a short train ride away from Amsterdam. So if you enjoy art, you might as well add that one to your itinerary.
Or See Van Gogh Paintings in Paris
After discovering all these interesting van Gogh facts in the Netherlands, we took the train to Paris and explored the Musée d’Orsay. They actually have a whole room dedicated to Van Gogh and Gaugin.
Did you know that you can visit many museums in Paris for free, as long as you time your visit well? Also check out Paris on a Budget and make sure not to be caught in the shell game trap!
Van Gogh Paintings at the MoMA in New York City
Since the pandemic makes it hard to travel to Europe, you might want to visit the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.
Though there are less paintings than in Europe, it still was fun to see some of his works an ocean away from where he painted them.
When you are in New York City, you definitely should take the free ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. And once we get this pandemic under control, get yourself some cheap Broadway tickets!
Which Art School did Vincent van Gogh Attend?
In fact, Vincent had surprisingly little formal art education. After his failure as a minister, he briefly studied drawing at The Hague School. Following the Dutch masters dark style, he painted the Potato Eaters.
In the winter of 1885, he attended the art academy of Antwerp, Belgium. It didn’t take more than a few months until his professor dismissed him. But the experience got him in touch with Japanese art, which would influence him strongly with its bright colors and the playful use of lines in their paintings.
In 1888, he decided to move to the Provence, France in the small town of Arles. Enjoying the colorful landscapes, he painted many blossoming fruit trees and yellow wheat fields. At the end of 1888, Paul Gaugin moved in with him, hoping they would be the first ones in a new artist colony.
Hello Darkness My Old Friend…
Sadly, Vincent van Gogh suffered from mental illness, which caused him to cut off his own left ear. After Gaugin quickly moved out, Vincent decided to check himself into an asylum where he painted many of his master works.
Where and How did Vincent Die?
After his asylum stay, Vincent moved to an inn in Auvers-sur-Oise. In his letters to his brother Theo, he wrote about not seeing a happy future at all. On 27 July 1890, he shot himself, supposedly believing that this was the only way to free himself from his darkness.
Right after his shooting, he managed to walk back to the inn, where a doctor tended to him. Alas, the doctor couldn’t remove the bullet and infection set in. The following morning, his brother Theo rushed to Vincent’s bedside, and was able to stay with him till he died in the early hours of 29 July.
Conclusion Vincent van Gogh Facts
I hope you enjoyed all these facts about Vincent. He led a tumultous life. Starting in a tiny Dutch town, via his religious aspirations, he became a prolific painter. Although his story ended in France after 37 troubled years, his master pieces still live on to delight us all.
What is your favorite Van Gogh painting? Where did you see it? Please let us know in the comments.
Pin Geeky Vincent Van Gogh Facts
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