Vincent Van Gogh is today regarded as one of the most talented artists that has ever lived. His work has become something of a phenomenon within the art world, and many of his pieces are truly priceless.
Unfortunately, Van Gogh’s talent was not truly recognised over the course of his lifetime, and it was only after he had passed away that he was seen as the master artist that he really was.
It’s well-known that Van Gogh struggled throughout his life both with finances and with his own mental health. There’s a famous story of the artist removing his own ear after suffering from a particularly bad episode, and a missing ear has become synonymous with the artist. Here we will look at the mental health struggles that Van Gogh dealt with on his path to becoming a world-famous artist.
His Numerous Addictions
It’s well-documented that Van Gogh, along with his inherent mental issues, also suffered from addictions that would later lead to him causing harm to himself. One of the more prominent addictions was alcohol, and he was known to drink himself into a stupor throughout his life.
The story that revolves around his mental breakdown that led to the removal of his ear is closely tied with the overconsumption of alcohol and coffee, although this was also down to speculation by the doctor that oversaw his health at the time. Regardless, it’s known that the artist did imbibe fairly regularly, and it often made his mental health problems spiral out of control.
Sent To Hospital
After the episode of self-harm, Van Gogh was sent to a hospital to be looked after and to recover from his injuries. Hospitals at the time were a far cry from what we have today, and it’s believed that the artist would continue to spiral during his time within the hospital. He would later be released, and letters sent to his brother revealed that he knew that he was battling with his own inner demons.
Not long after his release, he attempted to get back into his work to start earning a living, but this didn’t last long as he once again fell into a fit of depression. It’s stated that he was confused and unsure of the things that he was saying or doing, and it wasn’t too much longer after this that he was once again sent back to the hospital during a time where pastimes like online bingo sites weren’t available to help with stress.
His Greatest Works
His stint at the Saint Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital also proved to be something of a turning point in the artist’s life. This is also where he began work on some of his notable paintings, including Starry Night.
He was given a room on the bottom floor, giving him a view of the surrounding land and town. After being released and moving to a town not far from Paris, he was fatally shot on the 27th of July 1890, and died two days later. While it was long believed that he took his own life, many other speculate that he was shot in the process of protecting another.