What Van Gogh Did to Become a Post-Impressionist Painter

How the early years of Vincent’s life made him a leading artist

Detail of ‘Old Man with a Top Hat’ (1881) by Vincent van Gogh. Crayon, pencil, ink and paper. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands Image source WikiArt

The appeal of Vincent Van Gogh shows no signs of fading. The sense of Van Gogh’s artistic genius is more than ever tied to a personal heroism, defined by his short tragic life, the intense work rate of his last few years, and the sickness that became evermore…