SELF PORTRAIT
WITH BANDAGED EAR
by Vincent van Gogh
1853-1890
|
|
|
Vincent Van Gogh (van GO)* was born in the Netherlands. When he was 27 years old, he taught himself how to paint. His brother, Theo, was an art dealer. He recognized Vincent's talent and encouraged him and supported him financially. He introduced him to famous artists who influenced him.
Some of his earlier paintings were done in watercolor. Then he started using oil paints. Sometimes he would squeeze the paint directly on the canvas and work with it there.
He liked to paint pictures of flowers as shown by this painting, Irises.
Another of his early paintings, The Potato Eaters, became one of his most well known works. The setting of this painting is almost cavelike and the colors are dark. In describing the painting himself, he wrote about how the people are eating the potatoes they planted and dug from the earth. He appreciated the fact that they had honestly earned their food. This is the only picture he ever painted that had a lot of
people in it. About three years later he painted a still life with potatoes in it,
Potatoes in a Yellow Dish .
His painting, Starry Night became very famous, but he felt that it was not realistic enough. A year earlier he had painted another starry sky picture, Starry Night Over the Rhone .
He loved children, especially his nephew. Even though he was a great artist, he never painted pictures of children to make them look like children. They always looked like small people with adult facial features. Two Little Girls and Child With an Orange .
Sometimes his actions were violent and his neighbors were afraid of him. Once he tried to slash an associate, Gauguin, with a razor, and that same night he cut off his own ear. Later he painted some pictures of himself with a bandage over his ear. Interestingly though, he had cut off his left ear, but his right ear was bandaged in the pictures. Do you suppose he was looking in the mirror and just painted what he saw?
After the ear incident, he committed himself to an asylum, a mental institution. There were beautiful gardens there. During his stay he painted over 200 pictures including Starry Night .
He did not get along well with his father, but something happened once that helped to heal their relationship. His mother was in a terrible accident and Vincent cared for her for a long time after the accident. His father saw the love Vincent had for his mother and he loved him because of his actions toward his mother.
Van Gogh had a good friend, a postman named Roulin. He thought of him as a father and said he had the wisdom of Socrates. Roulin stood by his friend when others
thought he was dangerous. Vincent painted many pictures of the postman and
The Roulin Family .
During his lifetime, he produced over 800 oil paintings and even more drawings. He liked to paint scenes from nature, and he tried to show the lives of the common people as they worked at their jobs.
Some say that during his lifetime he only sold one painting. It is a fact though that he would trade paintings for art supplies, and the dealers sold some of those paintings. He had no idea that he would become so famous, but after his death people began to appreciate his work. One of his paintings sold for $82.5 million. That's the most anyone has ever paid for a painting.
He wrote over 700 letters to his brother, Theo. From these letters people were able to learn about him and how he felt. His life ended sadly in 1890, when at the age of 37, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
* If you go to the Mirriam-Webster dictionary and search for "Van Gogh" you will find three different ways to pronounce his name.
.
Worksheet and Activities
Print this webpage
Online Crossword Puzzle
Online Word Search
Vincent van Gogh Crossword Puzzle
Vincent van Gogh Word Search
Picture of Self Portrait With Bandaged Ear to print and color.
Work a Jigsaw Puzzle
Van Gogh Video
23 minutes
Video and Game about Van Gogh
at Quia, created by Renee Maufroid
Biography of Van Gogh
from CGFA
Van Gogh
from World of Biography
Self-Portrait
CGFA
Art Project
Starry Night
Van Gogh Gallery
Click on "Paintings" in the left column
Van Gogh's life and works
extensive list from Humbolt State University
The Art Room 114
children paint pictures in the style of Van Gogh.
Van Gogh and Gauguin
This presentation from the Art Institute of Chicago
includes an excellent slide show of works of the artists.
Complete Works of Van Gogh
on CD-ROM
Van Gogh Reproductions
Van Gogh's Painting Style
art lesson grades 4-6
Van Gogh Sunflowers
art lesson K and up
Vincent's Flowers
art lesson K-2
Van Gogh Biography and Prints
(Spanish version)
At biography.com search for Vincent Van Gogh.
Scroll the panel for the "Video & Audio Results".
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear
van Gogh, Vincent
Buy this Art Print at AllPosters.com
Van Gogh Photo Stickers
By School Specialty Publishing
This package of 36 acid free stickers will brighten anyone's day. Each page contains 12 of Van Gogh's most vibrant artworks. Perfect for home, school, even personal correspondence!
The First Starry Night
By Joan Shaddox Isom / Charlesbridge Publishing
This is a fictional account of Vincent Van Gogh's short stay in the small city of Arles France. The young boy Jacques befriends Van Gogh when Van Gogh boards in his house. The poignancy of the painters life is captured here in the text and in the author's own illustrations. Using the technique Van Gogh once did, she captures the aluring nature of painting in her own vivid works of art. While enjoying the story and illustrations children will also be learning about one of the most important artists in history.
Famous Artists in this Series
Index to Famous Paintings
Art Appreciation
Lessons for Kids
