His sunflowers are iconic, his cut-off ear is well-known, and his starry nights still capture the world’s imagination. But even though today, Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh is one of the most well-known artists of all time, he was unknown when he was alive, and considered himself a failure.
Click start to play today’s Crossword, where you can spot the artist in one of the clues.
Of all people, van Gogh himself may be the most surprised to note that every one of his artworks sells for hundreds of millions of dollars today. Get to know the tormented artist a little more with some quick facts from Google Arts and Culture:
1. He almost didn’t pursue art
Imagine a world where The Starry Night or Sunflowers didn’t exist. It would have been possible if van Gogh continued with his plans to be a pastor, in Borinage, Belgium. It was only when he was sacked from his job as a lay preacher that he decided to set foot on another path – that of an artist. Can you believe van Gogh started painting only when he was 27 years old? He never received any formal training.
2. He was inspired by Eastern art
Although he took inspiration from Dutch genre painting and the realist artwork of French artist Jean-Francois Millet and other contemporaries, van Gogh also looked to the East for a muse. He was particularly interested in Japanese woodblock prints, and even made copies of work by Hiroshige, Kesai Eisen and others.
3. He was a prolific painter
Once he began painting at 27, he never stopped. Van Gogh painted for 10 years, right up until he died at age 37. In that time, he produced more than 900 paintings, with even more drawings and sketches. That equates to one new artwork every 36 hours!
4. He was his own model
Since he was an unknown and impoverished artist, van Gogh couldn’t afford to pay for models, so he often painted himself instead. Another cost-saving technique he used was to paint over his own artwork, instead of buying a new canvas. Imagine how many more hidden paintings lie under his masterpieces!
5. He cut off his own ear, allegedly
Van Gogh supposedly cut off his own ear in 1888, in what many believe was a furious argument with fellow painter Paul Gaugin at the Yellow House in Arles, France. Some historians, however, think Gaugin cut off his friend’s ear by accident, and once their rage subsided, the pair conspired to blame the accident on van Gogh, so that Gaugin could escape the police.
Which of van Gogh’s famous paintings do you admire most? Play today’s Spell It and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.
