Vincent van Gogh

Career overview

Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is considered one of the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. During a career spanning just over a decade, he produced approximately 2,100 artworks, which included around 860 oil paintings. His body of work consists of landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and self-portraits. These pieces are characterized by expressive, impulsive, and dramatic brushwork along with bold colors, elements that contributed to the foundations of modern art. Most of his oil paintings were created during the final two years of his life.

In the context of film and television, the artist has been the subject of various portrayals. The 2010 Doctor Who episode titled Vincent and the Doctor, written by Richard Curtis, features the artist alongside the Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith, and Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan. Other cinematic works related to his life include the biopic Lust for Life, directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Kirk Douglas, and a film by Maurice Pialat concerning the death of van Gogh. Additionally, the film Vincent and Theo includes documentary footage from a 1987 auction at Christie's in London, where one of his paintings sold for millions of pounds. Van Gogh died at the age of 37 on July 29, 1890, following years of poverty and mental illness.