[dropcap]V[/dropcap]incent was a son to a minister and was born on 30th March 1853. Initially Van Gogh had never thought of being a professional artist, it was his failures to be what he initially desired that turned him on the road to a painting legacy.
He started off work as an arts dealer just like many other relatives that he knew. From the age of 16 he was hurled in to that direction, he was glad to escape from a childhood that he did not like at all. He was never satisfied with his childhood and always thought the world was too cruel to him. An art dealer’s job felt like a welcome relief initially but at the age of 23 at the peak of his success he was fired from this position. Distraught at losing something that he had found immense pleasure in, he tried to look for work as a minister. Although he desired this new path immensely, he failed to get in the school. Undeterred by this failure, he tried taking a class from another school where he also failed. For any man this could have been the very persuasion that he needed to choose a different path but not for Van Gogh, he was stubborn and persistent and did not let problems decide his path.
He decided that a formal education as a minister was not a necessity and he went on to minister to the poor in a coal mining hub in Belgium. He had earlier lived with the poor so he was able to better understand their problems and subsequently guide them. But the local church thought that he was being disrespectful of his position and stripped him off the permission to minister to those people. Now utterly miserable with his life he turned to painting as a means of finding peace. Another Vincent’s’ brother on the other hand had grown to be a strong and successful businessman and art dealer; he came to Vincent’s rescue. He saw the talent that Vincent exhibited in his paintings and persuaded him to take arts classes in Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts. This was the first step in his commemorated legacy.
But hardships followed him then too, he showed signs of mental stress and opposed his father’s persuasion to seek help in an asylum. He fell in love with a prostitute and had to face further opposition from his family. But this companionship was short lived and he returned to his family, a broken man once again. After this he sought to clear up his act by taking more arts classes and started developing masterpieces that are dearly loved and cherished today. After a long period at home he went away and invited a friend to come and live with him. He often fought with him; one day during a quarrel he was about to lash out on to his friend with a blade, upon understanding what he was about to do, he fled the scene and hid in a brothel where he cut off his ear and gave it to the local people.
This was the last straw that pushed him in to a mental asylum. He also painted masterpieces while in an asylum. Soon, though he left the asylum to be closer to his brother, one day while walking in a field he shot himself in the stomach and died two days later. And this is how the legend of Vincent Van Gogh was made. His entire life story is that of struggle; a struggle to find his way in this world and with each struggle, instead of losing hope he sought a solution and maybe this is why he is blessed to have people who remember him for his wonderful paintings.
