Do you know Van Gogh?

What you didn’t know about Vincent Van Gogh (March 30, 1853 - July 29, 1890):
1. His father was a protestant minister, a profession that Vincent found appealing and he considered for himself.
2. In the winter of 1885-1886 Van Gogh attended the art academy of Antwerp, Belgium. This proved a disappointment as he was dismissed after a few months by his Professor.
3. In 1881 he declared his love to his widowed cousin Kee Vos, who rejected him. Later he would move in with the prostitute Sien Hoornik and her children and considered marrying her.
4. Van Gogh produced all of his work (some 900 paintings and 1100 drawings) during a period of only 10 years before he succumbed to mental illness (possibly bipolar disorder) and committed suicide.
5. His fame grew rapidly after his death especially following a showing of 71 of van Gogh's paintings in Paris on March 17, 1901 (11 years after his death).
6. Vincent van Gogh's mother threw away quite a number of his paintings during Vincent's life and even after his death. But she would live long enough to see her son become a world famous painter.




Today: Draw or paint something...even if it's a stick figure! Drawing is not just for artists and children!