Vincent van Gogh Birthday

Van Gogh (30 March 1853 – 29 July 1890) was a major Post-Impressionist painter. He was a Dutch artist whose work had a far-reaching influence on 20th-century art. His output includes portraits, self portraits, landscapes and still lifes of cypresses, wheat fields and sunflowers. Van Gogh drew as a child but did not paint until his late twenties; he completed many of his best-known works during the last two years of his life. In just over a decade he produced more than 2,100 artworks, including 860 oil paintings and more than 1,300 watercolors, drawings, sketches and prints.

Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night, 1889. Universal History Archive via Getty Images

Was van Gogh really as unstable as he seemed? Are his paintings actually changing over time? And what’s with the ear already? Today, on what would have been his 162nd birthday, we’re exploring some of the theories and discoveries that continue to make van Gogh not only one of the most talented but one of the most beguiling artists of all time…