Vincent Van Gogh: An Artist Who Was On A Journey Of Free Soul.

Image by Prawny from Pixabay 

“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”

Vincent van Gogh is one of the most celebrated post-impressionist artists of all time who mastered the art of infusing life on canvas through leveraging myriad colours as a medium of vivid expressions.

Born in Holland on March 30 in the year 1853 in Groot-Zundert, he was brought up in a religiously cultured atmosphere. While growing up, Vincent succumbed to an identity crisis and hence struggled while discovering his life direction. He lacked self-confidence and was highly emotional. Not many know that initially, he believed that to preach the gospel is his true calling before unearthing his true calling of being an artist.

Vincent’s parents never approved his artistic dreams but that did not deter his determination to pursue his artistic aspirations. He lived in varied different in the Netherlands. He turned to his uncle (Anton Mauve) to take lessons in drawing and painting in the Hague. It was Mauve only who taught Vincent watercolour and oil painting basics. Finally, in the year 1881, he again moved back to his home in Etten. He continued with his practice and began working out of doors. His brother Theo went on to support Vincent financially so that he could stay focused on his artwork. In that era, unfortunately, artists were deprived of the deserving respect and his parents would perceive his artistic inclination as a social failure.

Against all odds, Vincent Van Gogh continued to devote his soul and heart to his enchantingly unique world of art to seek the meaning of life and inspiration. During his short-lived journey of 37 years, he went on to suffer from severe depression and poverty. In his life span, he created around 2,100 artworks encompassing around 860 oil paintings. Ironically, he could sell only 1 artwork before his untimely demise. Painted in 1890, the Portrait of Dr Gachet was being sold in 1990 for a whopping USD $82.5 million .

Here is a glimpse of his sufferings that is reflected in the letters that he wrote to his brother Theo.

“I cannot help it that my pictures do not sell.

The day will come when people will see that they are worth more than the price of the paint and my own living, very meager after all, that is put into them.

It is agonizing to me that there is no demand for them now because you suffer for it, but as far as I am concerned – if only you were not too worried by my bringing nothing in – it would pretty much be all the same to me.

I have no other desire nor any other interest as to money or finance, than primarily to have no debts.

I believe that the time will come when I too shall sell, but I am so far behind with you, and while I go on spending, I bring nothing in. Sometimes the thought of it saddens me.”

The journey of Vincent Ghosh has a lot to offer in terms of wisdom.

Wish he would have had mustered up a little more courage to survive and at right time, he would have had come to believe that the path he did choose was not wrong. It was just a matter of time. He suffered severe depression because people did not value his work but he should have had continued believing in himself.

We all go through rough phases in life and at that time, we need to reflect on the following wisdom:-

“Just because the Time is not Right, it does not mean You are Not Right!

Just because your work is not Valued, it does not mean You are Valuable!

Just because People don’t see your Worth, it does not mean that You are Unworthy!

Just because there is no demand for your work, it does not mean that You are not in Demand!

You are Richer Beyond Riches!

You are the Master Artist of Your Life!

You Are Valuable No matter what anyone thinks! You are Valuable because you are Alive!“

It is time to learn from the legacy of Van Gogh by appreciating such a genius artistic soul. Today he is no more there in this world but if you will observe, his soul is still very much alive in his artwork. Someone has quoted aptly, “It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over & It Ain’t Over By a Long Shot!”

“I must continue to follow the path I take now. If I do nothing, if I study nothing, if I cease searching, then, woe is me, I am lost. That is how I look at it — keep going, keep going come what may. But what is your final goal, you may ask. That goal will become clearer, will emerge slowly but surely, much as the rough draught turns into a sketch, and the sketch into a painting through the serious work done on it, through the elaboration of the original vague idea and through the consolidation of the first fleeting and passing thought.”

Share in comments how do you deal with low moments in your life.