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VINCENT VAN GOGH

March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890

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VAN GOGH:�INTERESTING FACTS

Only known photograph of Van Gogh at age 19

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  • Completed 900 paintings in 10 years
  • Suffered from severe mental illness his entire life
  • Despite coming from a well-off family, he spent his adult life in poverty. His diet consisted of bread & coffee.
  • He was the pioneer of the post-impressionistic selfie
  • During a 3-year period he painted 43 self portraits. This was due to lack of funds to pay for a model
  • His other cost saving trick was re-using his canvases. It is often wondered what could be hiding under those 900 paintings!

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Art

Work

  • Although Vincent van Gogh's paintings are virtually priceless today, his art went unrecognized during his lifetime

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  • The Starry Night (1889) - Vincent van Gogh night stars painting depicts the view outside his sanatorium room window at night

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  • Café Terrace at Night (1888) - Van Gogh never signed "Café Terrace at Night." However, he specifically mentioned the painting in three pieces of correspondence, so art historians are confident that he painted it. The café in the painting is still in existence, renamed the Café Van Gogh.

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  • What’s going on in this artwork?
  • What was your first reaction to this artwork? Why do you think you had the reaction? 
  • Does your opinion about the artwork change the longer you look at it? Why?
  • Describe the lines in this artwork
  • What verbs would you use to describe this artwork?

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Discussion…

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Today’s Art Project

Starry Night