Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in Holland.  Van Gogh had many jobs before he became an artist.  He was a teacher, a banker, and a preacher.  He felt he as though he was not good at them so he decided to become an artist.

Van Gogh moved to Paris to live with his brother, Theo.  Theo was an art dealer and encouraged Vincent to continue to paint.

Van Gogh is known for his colors and thick, textured brushstrokes (impasto) style of painting.  Vincent tried to express his feelings and emotions in his paintings.  He did this by painting swirling lines of color.

Vincent painted scenes that showed the life of those less fortunate.  He felt a connection with them because he lived his life in

poverty.  He often went without food in order to buy paints or canvases.  His paintings bring a quiet peace to those who view them.

Vincent van Gogh died on July 27, 1890 a poor man.  Today, he is one of the most reproduced painters in history and his paintings are worth millions of dollars.