Vincent Willem van Gogh is a Dutch post-impressionist painter who has become one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 works of art, including about 860 oil paintings, most of which date back to the last two years of his life. These include landscapes, still lifes, portraits and self-portraits, and are characterized by vivid colors and dramatic, impulsive and expressive paintwork that form the foundation of modern art. He was not commercially successful, and his suicide at 37 after years of mental illness, depression and poverty. Born into a middle-class family, Van Gogh painted as a child and was very serious, calm and thoughtful. As a young man, he worked as an art dealer, traveled frequently, but became depressed after moving to London. He converted to religion and spent time as an evangelical missionary in southern Belgium.
Years after his death, his work became noted for its emotional depth and strong use of color. He's also recognized for his landscape paintings and the Olive Trees series, which featured cypress trees in various locations.
