These are the 15 Most Famous Paintings by Vincent van Gogh
A Dutch post-impressionist painter, Vincent van Gogh, was born in the Netherlands and lived from 1853 to 1890. His work had a significant influence on modern art. Although he was not considered to have been famous during his lifetime, he is today considered to be one of the greatest artists of all time. Vincent van Gogh is known for his vibrant colors, forceful brushwork, and curved figures, as well as the turbulence in his personal life.
Biography of Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) was a Dutch painter and is considered to be one of the greatest painters of the 19th century. He is one of the most famous artists of all time and is best known for cutting off his ear. The artist’s powerful images are well-known and among the most popular in art history.
Early Life
Vincent Van Gogh was born in Zundert, a village in North Brabant, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. His mother had mental issues after the death of a sibling, and this led to a difficult home life.
Vincent had a very erratic education even though he was a highly intelligent young man. He became an apprentice to an art dealer in The Hague and later worked in London. After leaving his role in London he returned home to the Netherlands and became a missionary and lived for a time in Belgium and became infamous for his extreme religious views.
Van Gogh left his role as a missionary after becoming disillusioned and, he became a full-time painter. His life was very chaotic, and his behavior was so concerning that his father considered having him committed to a lunatic asylum.
Family
He was the eldest son of the Reverend Theodorus van Gogh (1822 – 1885). His mother was Anna Cornelia Carbentus (1819 – 1907). He had three sisters and they were Elisabeth, Anna, and Wil, and his brother beloved brother Theo. Vincent had a very close relationship with his brother, throughout his life.
Painting style
Van Gogh was initially a realistic painter and painted the hard lives of peasants. He later became a post-Impressionist painter. He reacted against the naturalism that was popular at the time and he experimented with line, color, and form. Van Gogh depicted his own emotional response to nature and his paintings while concerned with ordinary life are often vivid and dramatic such as ‘Starry Night’.
Many of his works deal with the theme of his mental illness and the subjects of hope, despair, and death.
Teacher
Van Gogh did not have any formal training, he was largely self-taught. As a result, he did not become a full-time painter until later in life.
First painting
His first noteworthy painting is the Potato Eaters which he painted at the age of 32. This was a painting of some peasants eating and is much darker than his later work.
It is estimated that he painted over 2000 works in a remarkably short period of time. Many of his works were lost, particularly drawings, as Vincent van Gogh was unable to sell them so were given away, unappreciated.
Influences
Among the early influence of Vincent van Gogh was the French artist Paul Millet and Eugene Delacroix. Another influence was the Flemish Old Master Peter Paul Rubens. Several of the great Impressionists, including Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne, were much admired by the great Dutch artist. His friend Paul Gauguin also introduced him to post-Impressionism.
Vincent van Gogh’s Travels
Van Gogh lived in London and Belgium. He also spent time in The Hague, The Netherlands. Most of his painting was undertaken in France, some of his masterpieces were painted in Paris but especially in Arles and elsewhere in Provence. The sunlight and scenery of Provence greatly inspired him. It was in Provence that most of his greatest masterpieces were painted.
Contemporaries
He collaborated with Paul Gauguin, they lived together for a small period of time and painted the same subjects, however, they did have a well-documented stormy if not, violent relationship.
Controversies
Vincent Van Gogh cut off his ear after losing his temper during an argument with Paul Gauguin. Some claim that Gauguin cut off the Dutch painter’s ear in a fight. van Gogh’s death has also been subject to historic debate, surrounding whether he committed suicide or shot himself accidentally.
Lost paintings
van Gogh has hundreds, if not thousands of lost artworks. Many of these are significant works, such as Still Life: Vase with Five Sunflowers which is believed destroyed during World War 2 in Japan, as well as Portrait of Dr. Gachet (1890) which has not been seen since it’s purchased by the now-deceased Japanese billionaire Ryoei Saito in 1990.
Final painting
Experts now agree that his last painting was Tree Roots (1890).
Later Life
Van Gogh suffered from mental illness and was a social misfit. He scandalized his parents by living openly with a prostitute. As a painter, he was a failure and was not recognized during his lifetime.
His brother Theo supported him financially and emotionally and the two exchanged many letters which are considered to be masterpieces of Dutch literature. In 1886 he moved to Paris and later he moved to Arles in Provence in the South of France.
By 1888 his style became much brighter, and his style entered his mature phase. He attempted to establish an artists’ colony in Arles. Van Gough was joined by Paul Gauguin. Van Gogh became addicted to the powerful alcoholic drink absinthe and experienced delusions.
After an argument with Gauguin, he cut off his ear and gave it to a maid in the local brothel in Arles. He was eventually committed to the local lunatic asylum and under the care of a kind doctor, he continued to paint. In January 1890 art critics became interested in Van Gough’s work.
However, despite the belated interest in his work, the artist was demoralized and seemed to have lost his passion for his art and even for life.
Death & Legacy
On the 7th of July 1890, Vincent van Gogh was found shot in the stomach in his room in the mental hospital. He died in agony two days later on the 29th of July 1890. His beloved brother Theo died of a broken heart, six months after Vincent’s death.
Van Gogh has been a major influence on modern painting. Some of his influence can be seen in his influence on Expressionism, especially the emphasis on the artist’s emotions. Millions of people visit museums around the world to see his most famous paintings.
Sold paintings
Van Gogh’s paintings fetch millions at auctions. The most expensive of his paintings was his Portrait of Dr. Gachet ($ 86 million). Other paintings sold for big money have been the Portrait of Joseph Roulin ($58 million) and Irises ($53.9 million)
Famous Vincent van Gogh Paintings
Irises (1889)
This is a painting of a garden at the institution at Saint-Remy, where Van Gogh took sanctuary after his breakdown in Arles. The use of black outlines in the flowers of the painting demonstrates the importance of Japanese wood blocking. It is now one of the most expensive paintings, demonstrating Van Gogh’s ability to use his surroundings to create vibrant paintings. The painting was purchased by the Getty Museum in 1987 for a then-record price for a painting, $53.9 million dollars.
- Location: J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California
- Type: Post-Impressionism, Still life
- Size: 71 cm × 93 cm (28 inches × 36 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1889
Café Terrace at Night (1888)
This is a painting of a starry night, with deep blues and dazzling stars. This was the first of a number of paintings in which he used starry backgrounds that needed the presence of a night sky. Van Gogh’s growing interest in religion inspired him to gaze at the stars. Religion appeared to fill the void left by the absence of love.
- Location: Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands
- Type: Post-Impressionism, Genre-painting
- Size: 80.7 cm × 65.3 cm (31.8 inches × 25.7 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1888
Almond Blossoms (1890)
This is a painting of Van Gogh residing in Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, a mental institution in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France. This is one of the famous paintings by Vincent van which he created with a specific person in mind, in this case, his brother and sister-in-law’s infant. Blossoming Almond Tree, also known as Almond Tree, is a painting that captures a lot of what he was thinking about, which is rebirth.
- Location: Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Type: Post-Impressionism, Still life
- Size: 73.5 cm × 92 cm (28.9 inches × 36 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1890
Starry Night Over the Rhône (1888)
This is a painting of the scene Van Gogh had outside of his hospital room window at night in the mental institution in Saint-Remy, France, although it was painted in the morning. It highlights how important it was for him to capture the glistening colors of the night sky as well as the artificial lights. It was created at a point in his life when he thought he needed religious instruction.
- Location: Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France
- Type: Post-Impressionism, cityscape, landscape
- Size: 72.5 cm × 92 cm (28.5 inches × 36.2 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1888
The Night Café (1888)
This is a painting of the inside of a pool in Place Lamartine in Arles, Southern France.
It was painted to show minimal humanity, without adornment, as impactfully and honestly as possible. ‘The Night Café’ is one of Vincent’s most dramatic depictions of the human experience and feelings through art. His contemporary Paul Gauguin also painted a similar version, titled The Night Cafe, Arles.
- Location: Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut
- Type: Post Impressionism, genre painting
- Size: 72.4 cm × 92.1 cm (28.5 inches × 36.3 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1888
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889)
This portrait is one of the most famous paintings by Vincent van Gogh. This painting is of a fur cap worn by Van Gogh, which is a reminder of the difficult working circumstances he endured in January 1889. The hat was a recent purchase to keep his bandage in place and keep him warm over the winter. This demonstrates his creative as well as personal ability. This self-portrait shows Van Gogh’s drive to keep painting. We can see the famous Japanese print ‘Geishas in a Landscape’ from the 1870s in the background of the picture.
- Location: The Courtauld Institute of Art in London, United Kingdom
- Type: Post-Impressionism, self-portrait
- Size: 60 cm × 49 cm (24 inches × 19 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1889
The Olive Trees (1889)
This is a painting of green olive trees twisting and twirling as though reflecting the ground’s radiating heat, on a hot day in southern France. To illustrate the trees, he used swirling brush strokes and a blue and green palette. Van Gogh felt comfort and relaxation in associating with nature; this painting has a unique meaning for him.
- Location: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, United States of America
- Type: Post-Impressionism, Landscape
- Size: 92 cm × 72.5 cm (36.2 inches × 28.5 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1889
Wheat Field with Cypresses (1889)
This is a painting of the wheat fields that reflects the cycle of life, in which people celebrate their progress while still being vulnerable to nature’s tremendous powers. This painting was used to communicate his thoughts on the meaning of life. This is one of the most famous paintings by Vincent van Gogh of his many landscape works.
- Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, United States
- Type: Post-Impressionism, landscape
- Size: 73 cm × 93.4 cm (29 inches × 36.8 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1889
Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat (1887)
This painting is of Vincent van Gogh creating a self-portrait in the winter of 1887–88, after nearly two years in Paris. It is obvious from his work that he learned the Pointillist method and used it in his own unique style. He arranged the short paint stripes in various directions. His self-portrait provides good documentation of his artistic efforts.
- Location: Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Type: Post-Impressionism, self-portrait
- Size: 44 × 37.5 cm (17.3 inches × 14.8 inches)
- Year: Completed in September and October 1887
Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (1887)
This painting depicts a peasant laborer wearing a yellow straw hat and a work jacket, which is characteristic of Van Gogh’s work as an artist of working men. His self-portrait symbolizes his reflection and sorrow. His self-portrait has a specific character that is separate from the composition of the time period.
- Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, United States
- Type: Post-Impressionism, self-portrait
- Size: 41 cm x 32 cm
- Year: Completed in 1887
Van Gogh’s Chair (1888)
This painting depicts a rustic wooden chair on a tiled floor with a simple woven straw seat. A pipe and a packet of pipe tobacco are on the chair’s seat. The artwork is part of a set of two chair paintings. Van Gogh used empty chairs to represent the person who would sit in them.
- Location: National Gallery in London, United Kingdom
- Type: Post Impressionism, genre painting
- Size: 93.0 cm × 73.5 cm (36.6 inches × 28.9 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1888
Prisoners Exercising (1890)
This is a painting of a group of inmates who are seen wandering in a circle around a prison yard, which is enclosed by brick walls with a few small arched windows high above. It is one of Van Gogh’s most stunning copies. Van Gogh felt like he was a prisoner, imprisoned inside the walls of the Saint Paul de Mausole asylum or in a mental institution.
- Location: Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia
- Type: Post-Impressionism, genre-painting
- Size: 80 cm × 64 cm (31 inches × 25 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1890
Portrait of Père Tanguy (1887)
This painting is of a paint grinder, who sold art materials and was an art dealer. He was one of the first people to sell Van Gogh’s paintings. Vincent’s mood and technique changed with this vividly colored painting. This portrait shows his skill with a brighter palette and demonstrates the development of his creative approach.
- Location: Musée Rodin, Paris
- Type: Post-Impressionism, portrait
- Size: 65.0 cm × 51.0 cm (25.6 inches × 20.0 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1887
Road with Cypress and Star (1890)
This painting is of a big, majestic cypress tree that divides two sides of the black night sky in the center. The graceful trees reminded Van Gogh of Egyptian obelisks, and he decided that they would become the main subject for his paintings. Van Gogh’s use of trees extends over the top of the painting and out of view in many cases, which is an interesting element.
- Location: Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands
- Type: Post-Impressionism, cityscape, landscape
- Size: 92 cm × 73 cm (36 inches × 29 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1890
The Starry Night (1889)
Arguably one of the most famous paintings by Vincent van Gogh. This painting portrays the scene from his asylum room’s east-facing window, right before daybreak, with the addition of a fictional settlement near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. It shows how Van Gogh’s vision was closely linked to the new painting processes he created. The artist was known for his impressionist style of painting, and his strong use of oils and paintbrushes made him a one-of-a-kind artist who was quickly loved by everybody.
- Location: Museum of Modern Art, New York City
- Type: Post-Impressionism, landscape
- Size: 73.7 cm × 92.1 cm (29.01 inches × 36.26 inches)
- Year: Completed in 1889
What famous paintings by Vincent van Gogh do you think we should add to this list? Comment below.