The Life and Art of Vincent van Gogh Quiz

Answer: The Netherlands

He was born in the Dutch village of Groot-Zunderton on March 30, 1853. He was the eldest of six siblings but his mother, Anna had given birth to a stillborn son, also called Vincent, on March 30, 1852. This was a coincidence that could possibly help to account for Vincent's morbidity later in life.

Answer: A young lady

When Vincent was twenty he was living in London, and he fell in love with Eugenie Loyer who was the daughter of his landlady. Eugenie was already engaged at the time, but her rejection profoundly affected him.

Answer: Missionary

Vincent was a missionary in Belgium but the people he enountered considered him to be strange as he preached to them in an over zealous manner. He lived a very austere lifestyle in a dirty hut, and he stopped eating. The church authorities dismissed him, and this affected Vincent deeply.

Answer: Antwerp

Vincent only remained at the Academy for a few months due to disagreements with his tutors. For example, he thought that he should be in an advanced drawing class but the tutor felt he wasn't skilled enough, and wanted to move him to the preparatory class.

Answer: "Starry Night"

"Starry Night" was a picture that Vincent painted when he was in an asylum for the mentally ill. Even though it is considered one of his more famous works, Van Gogh himself wrote that he was disappointed with it, and felt that it wasn't realistic enough.
"Water Lilies " and "Haystacks" are by Monet, and "The Last Supper" is by Leonardo da Vinci.

Answer: "Umbrellas"

"Umbrellas" is a famous picture by the French artist, Renoir, painted in the 1880s.

The three Van Gogh works listed were all painted in 1889. "Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear" was painted after Van Gogh had chopped off part of his ear. This work shows Vincent in a winter coat, and his expression is one of deep suffering. "Bedroom at Arles" is a work that Vincent was very proud of. It has an unusual perspective, and his favourite colour, yellow, is very dominant. "Field of Wheat with Cypresses" strongly features the swirling forms that we now have come to associate with Van Gogh. Cypress trees traditionally signified death, and there could be a link there to Vincent's suicidal tendencies.

Answer: blue/green and yellow

The yellow pigment that was used in these paintings was a newly manufactured pigment that gave the paintings a fresh vibrancy. Without this invention art historians have questioned whether the paintings would have become so famous.

Answer: Gauguin

Paul Gauguin was a Post-Impressionist painter who heavily influenced Van Gogh. The sunflower was Gauguin's favourite flower.

Answer: After an argument with a friend

Van Gogh and Gauguin lived together for a few months but after a fight Gauguin left, and this is thought to have contributed to Vincent having a mental breakdown and cutting off part of his ear. Later he gave the ear part to a prostitute named Rachel.

Answer: Suicide

Tragically, on July 27, 1890, Vincent shot himself. He took two days to die.
Throughout the years, his younger brother Theo had been his best friend and most loyal supporter. It was Theo who was with him in his final hours.