DIRECTIONS: Read the following artist biographies. Answer the multiple choice, True/False, and matching questions on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure to put your name and class number at the top! VINCENT VAN GOGH Early Life Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in the Netherlands. Both his father and grandfather were ministers, but other family members worked in the art world, including his mother. Vincent had three brothers and two sisters. Young Adult Vincent enjoyed drawing as a young child, but had several other jobs before he decided to become a full-time artist. He worked as a teacher in London, and later as a minister. His other jobs included a book store attendant, an art gallery attendant, and a missionary. Around age 27, Vincent decided to devote himself fully to art. Early Art Vincent first began sketching pictures with pencils or charcoal sticks, and also used some watercolors. He liked drawing pictures of poor, hardworking people. He eventually started using oil paints. Van Gogh used a lot of dark colors, like browns and dark greens, in his early art career. His pictures were typically somber. One of his famous early paintings was called The Potato Eaters, a dark picture of a peasant family eating potatoes at dinner. Letters The majority of what is known about van Gogh comes from letters he wrote to his favorite brother, Theo, who worked in a Paris art gallery and supported Vincent’s art career. Theo sent money to Vincent and encouraged his brother’s artwork. Theo attempted to sell Vincent’s paintings, but no one was interested. Paris Theo wrote to Vincent to inform him of a new painting style in Paris, known as Impressionism. Vincent moved to Paris in 1886 to learn this new style. His artwork was influenced by painters like Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Camille Pissarro. Van Gogh became good friends with artist Paul Gauguin. He started using brighter colors and brushwork that was more broken. He began painting subjects from the streets and cafes in Paris, along with the countryside. In addition, van Gogh became interested in painting portraits of people. He painted himself when he was unable to find models, painting over twenty self portraits during this period. ©Teaching to the Middle Ear After an argument with painter, Paul Gauguin, van Gogh went home and cut off part of his ear with a razor blade. He wrapped it up and gave it to a woman as a “present.” In some of his self-portraits his ear is bandaged from when he cut it. Arles Van Gogh moved south to Arles, France in 1888 to start an artist’s commune. He rented a yellow house and invited his friend and artist, Paul Gauguin, to join him. Van Gogh loved the vibrant colors and bright sun of Arles. He was inspired to paint with emotion and intensity. The colors he used in his paintings became even brighter and more vibrant. He sometimes applied paint directly onto the canvas from the tubes, leaving the paint thick with rough brush strokes. It sometimes took weeks for van Gogh’s paintings to dry because the paint was so thick. During this time, he painted hundreds of pictures, sometimes painting masterpieces in a single day. He became obsessed with art, so much that he often did not eat and had poor health as a result. Gauguin visited him, but they had an argument and he soon left. Mental Hospital Van Gogh committed himself to a mental hospital in 1889 because he could hardly take care of himself. He continued to paint during this time, even painting one of his most famous paintings, Starry Night. This painting can be seen at the New York Museum of Modern Art. Several of his paintings featured cypress trees and swirling colors during this time. His mental state continued to deteriorate and he died from a self- inflicted bullet wound. He did not die immediately, but later in his brother’s arms at only age 37. Legacy Vincent van Gogh was not famous during his lifetime, but is considered one of the greatest and most influential artists of his time. Some people think he actually only sold one work during his lifetime called The Red Vineyard. The Van Gogh Museum opened in Amsterdam in 1973 to make his works accessible to the public. It houses over 200 van Gogh paintings, 500 drawings, and 750 written documents, like the letters to his brother. His self-portraits, The Potato Eaters, The Bedroom, and Sunflowers are located at the museum Several of his paintings have sold for millions of dollars today. His painting “Irises” sold for $53.9 million and his “Portrait of Dr. Gachet” for $82.5 million. There are over a thousand of his watercolors and sketches of his work and over 800 oil paintings that still exist. ©Teaching to the Middle Name_________________________________________ Vincent van Gogh Matching: Match each term with its description. 1. ____ The Potato Eaters A. Van Gogh’s brother who supported him 2. ____ letters B. Art style that was popular in van Gogh’s time 3. ____ Netherlands C. One of van Gogh’s first paintings 4. ____ Theo D. Van Gogh is famous for cutting this body part off 5. ____ Paris E. Van Gogh often wrote these to his brother, Theo 6. ____ Impressionism F. Van Gogh checked himself into this in 1889 7. ____ Gauguin G. Country where van Gogh was born 8. ____ Ear H. City in France where van Gogh created many pieces 9. ____ Arles I. Van Gogh moved here to learn about Impressionism 10. ____ mental hospital J. Van Gogh became friends with this fellow artist True or False?: Place a check in the correct column. Statement T F 11. Van Gogh’s brother, Theo, discourage him from moving to Paris. 12. Van Gogh sold many paintings while he was still alive. 13. Van Gogh was extremely devoted to his artwork. 14. Van Gogh moved to Paris to learn about Impressionism. 15. Van Gogh’s first paintings were bright and colorful. 16. Van Gogh moved to Arles, France to create an artist commune. 17. Van Gogh’s paintings now sell for millions. 18. None of van Gogh’s paintings remain. 19. Van Gogh cut off his ear after an argument with his girlfriend. 20. Van Gogh continued to paint while he was in the mental hospital. ©Teaching to the Middle Multiple Choice: Choose the best answer. 21. How did van Gogh’s early work differ from his later work? A. His early work used much darker, somber colors. B. His early work used brighter colors because he was happier. C. His early work only featured landscapes. D. His early work was only self-portraits. 22. Why did van Gogh often make self-portraits? A. He was obsessed with his own image. B. He was obsessed with getting his portrait right. C. He often could not find people to model for him. D. He felt these sold the best to the public. 23. When did van Gogh create his famous “Starry Night”? A. When he was a teenager B. When he lived in Paris. C. When he lived in Arles. D. When he was committed to a mental hospital. 24. How did van Gogh die? A. He stopped eating and his body could not keep up. B. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. C. Gauguin shot him after an argument. D. His brother Theo killed him. 25. “His mental state continued to deteriorate and he died…” What is ©Teaching to the to the Middle©Teaching the best meaning of deteriorate, as used in the quote? A. To become progressively worse B. To become progressively better C. To strengthen in quality D. To break away from a solid 26. Which best describes Gauguin and van Gogh’s relationship? A. Close B. Tumultuous C. Interesting D. Powerful .