You should describe your artists:

a. Personality-Van Gogh was believed to suffer from a bi polar disorder. As a child, he was
profoundly attached to his mother, he was known as an ill-tempered child and often time
had fits of anger as small boy. He had manic episodes and throughout his life suffered
from the effects of this mental illness. Ultimately his mental health is what they believe
caused his self-inflicted death. Van Gogh used his art to express his feelings and the
struggles he was going through, As my work is, so am I. He wanted to paint what he
felt and feel what he painted.
b. Family life-Van Gogh was the eldest son to Reverend Theodorus Van Gogh and Anna
Cornelia. He had decent upbringing and had the arts in his life from a young age. He had
three sisters and two brothers and they grew up in Groot-Zundert in Brabant. Van Gogh
was very close to his brother Theo, and wrote him over 800 letters. Vincent had a strained
relationship with is mother. She didnt understand his ideas and intellect, it is said that as
time passed, she liked him less and less. Even after his death, she dismissed him and
found his art to be ridiculous. It is said that the Van Gogh children grew up in a world
drained of emotion, and that they must always appear proper. Their mother, Anna was
very strict with whom she would allow the children to socialize with and always wanted
the Van Goghs to be known for their good name. In his adult life, he never was
married. He did propose to a young woman, who turned him down, causing him to have
the first of many break downs. Vincent had no biological children.
c. time period-Van Gogh was born in 1853, and was known as a post-impressionist painter.
He started experimenting with art by drawing. In 1882 he received formal training from
his cousin when he moved to Hauge. As he lived in different cities, the style of his art

changed. He stayed in Paris for two years, and after seeing impressionist work first hand
and experiencing Neo Impressionist work, he lightened the colors in his work, and
experimented with different brush strokes.
Describe one work of art that you feel was the most significant piece your artist produced
and in your own words explain why.
Description of painting: The Starry Night. This is painting has dark colors, with bright yellow
stars. The swirls and movement of the sky bring movement into the painting. He uses several
shades of blue & white to give a strong contrast. Below the majestic sky is a little town, the
homes in the town have some lights on in them, and to the left, there is an ominous black castle/
tower. No lights are on in the castle, it is pitch black.
Why: This is a very well-known piece, probably Van Goghs most known work of art. This was
one of the pieces I could first identify as a child and know who painted it. Ive seen many
replications and even have the option for this as a design on my credit card.
Describe what emotions you feel this painting portrays and explain how the artist used the
Principles and Elements of Design to convey these feelings.
There is a darkness in this painting. The swirls and movement in the sky make me think of a
stormy night, where a snow storm is about to blow its way into town.
Describe your emotions:
I am mesmerized by the stars and love looking at the sky, but cant help but notice this dark,
scary castle in the corner. I become curious as to what lives inside and start to wonder why there
is this darkness that is present in what appears to be a happy little town.
Describe the Principles and Elements used: Van Gogh uses contrasting colors, along with
light. The stars and moon are bright and luminous, while the down is dark. He uses brush strokes

to enhance the stars and illuminate the sky. He has several different styles of strokes, but they all
flow.
Describe your artists style: Van Goghs was mainly self-taught and his work was noted for its
beauty, color and emotion. In his early career, Van Gogh used dark colors, he felt he was
required to master the art of black and white before moving to color. Most of his work reflected
the sadness he felt, again going back to his statement of as my art is, so am I. Many pieces are
described as melancholy and having sadness.
You are required to use at least 3 references which you will need to cite in your
report. They are as follows:
A. Book from a physical library
Naifeh, Steven, and Gregory White. Smith. Van Gogh: The Life. New York: Random House, 2011. Print.

B. One online website

"National Gallery of Art - Van Gogh's Van Goghs: Virtual Tour." National Gallery of Art - Van Gogh's Van
Goghs: Virtual Tour. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2016.

C. The following Art Data Base. http://www.ahdb.org/

"Vincent Van Gogh (18531890) | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum
of Art." The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2016.