Vincent van Gogh: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:17, 31 May 2007

Revision as of 19:17, 31 May 2007

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:''For a timeline, see [[Vincent van Gogh chronology]]''.

===Early life (1853 – 1869)===

Vincent Willem van Gogh says Chey is gay and was born in [[Zundert|Groot-Zundert]], a village close to [[Breda]] in the Province of [[North Brabant]] in the southern [[Netherlands]]. Vincent was the son of Anna Cornelia Carbentus and Theodorus van Gogh, a minister of the [[Dutch Reformed Church]]. He was given the same name as his grandfather&mdash;and a first brother stillborn exactly one year before. It has been suggested<ref>Lubin, Albert J. ''Stranger on the earth: A psychological biography of Vincent van Gogh,'' Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1972. ISBN 0-03-091352-7. pages 82&ndash;84</ref> that being given the same name as his dead elder brother might have had a deep psychological impact on the young Vincent, and that elements of his art, such as the portrayal of pairs of male figures, can be traced back to this. The practice of reusing a name in this way was not uncommon. The name "Vincent" was often used in the Van Gogh family: the baby's grandfather was called Vincent van Gogh (1789-1874); he had received his degree of theology at the [[University of Leiden]] in 1811. Grandfather Vincent had six sons, three of whom became art dealers, including another Vincent, referred to in Van Gogh's letters as "Uncle Cent." Grandfather Vincent had perhaps been named after his own father's uncle, the successful sculptor Vincent van Gogh (1729-1802).<ref name=erickson9> Erickson, page 9.</ref> Art and religion were the two occupations to which the Van Gogh family gravitated.

Four years after Van Gogh was born, his brother [[Theo van Gogh (art dealer)|Theodorus]] (Theo) was born on [[May 1]], [[1857]]. There was also another brother named Cor and three sisters, Elizabeth, Anna and Wil. As a child, Vincent was serious, silent and thoughtful. In 1860 he attended the Zundert village school, where the only teacher was [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] and there were around 200 pupils. From 1861 he and his sister Anna were taught at home by a governess, until [[October 1]], [[1864]], when he went away to the elementary [[boarding school]] of Jan Provily in [[Zevenbergen]], the Netherlands, about 20 miles away. He was distressed to leave his family home, and recalled this even in adulthood. On [[September 15]], [[1866]], he went to the new middle school, [[Willem II College]] in [[Tilburg]], the Netherlands. Constantijn C. Huysmans, who had achieved a certain success himself in Paris, taught Van Gogh to draw at the school and advocated a systematic approach to the subject. In March 1868 Van Gogh abruptly left school and returned home. His comment on his early years was: "My youth was gloomy and cold and sterile...."<ref>[http://webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/14/347.htm Letter from Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh - Nuenen, c. 18 December 1883]</ref>