1853–1869: Early life
- 1853 – Born March 30 in the Netherlands.
- Raised in a religious, middle-class family; his father was a pastor.
- Quiet, serious child; early interest in drawing but no formal art path yet.
1869–1876: Searching for a career
- Works as an art dealer at a firm in The Hague, London, and Paris.
- Becomes increasingly withdrawn and unhappy.
- Fired in 1876 after losing interest in the business.
1876–1880: Religious phase
- Tries to become a teacher, bookseller, and preacher.
- Moves to Belgium to work as a missionary among coal miners.
- Lives in extreme poverty to relate to them—this worries church authorities.
- After failing as a preacher, he decides to become an artist.
1880–1889: Learning to paint (Dutch period)
- Begins serious artistic training, mostly self-taught.
- Focuses on peasants and working-class life.
- Supported financially and emotionally by his brother, Theo van Gogh. 1885 – Paints The Potato Eaters, his first major work.
- Moves to Paris and lives with Theo.
- December 1888 – After an argument, Van Gogh cuts off part of his ear during a mental breakdown.
1889–1890: Asylum & final works
- Admits himself to a mental asylum in Saint-Rémy.
- Creates The Starry Night (1889).
- Moves to Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris to be closer to doctors and Theo.
- Suffers a gunshot wound (widely believed to be self-inflicted).
- Dies on July 29, 1890, at age 37.
