Considered by many to be the epitome of the tortured artist who died penniless & unappreciated, only to make millions of dollars for art dealers all over the world, Vincent van Gogh was an artist of exceptional intensity, reflected in his use of colors, his exuberant application of paint, and in his personal life.
As Dan Neil described Van Gogh in a Wall Street Journal article, "Vincent Van Gogh was a handful: almost certainly a victim of epilepsy, perhaps an alcoholic, maybe mad from the leaded paint he worked with, but in any case a raving, God-haunted lunatic most of the time and nobody's favorite neighbor."
Apparently, focusing on details in nature was a form of self-medication for the tormented artist. It couldn't save his life, but it certainly enriches ours. His works—particularly those created in the years just before he took his own life—engage the viewer with the strength of his emotions.
The exhibition (which runs to May 6) focuses on these tumultuous years, a period of feverish artistic experimentation that began when van Gogh left Antwerp for Paris in 1886 and continued until his death in Auvers in 1890. Many of the pieces come from private collections.
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