Reijer Stolk

Since Reijer Stolk is a fictional artist, I will be creating a biography for Vincent van Gogh, one of the most influential artists in art history.

Vincent van Gogh, born March 30, 1853 in Groot-Zundert, Netherlands, was a post-impressionist whose work embodied remarkable beauty, emotion and color and had a profound influence on 20th-century art. Despite his genius, van Gogh suffered from psychological problems and remained largely unrecognized during his lifetime. He began his career as an artist relatively late, having unsuccessfully attempted to work as an art dealer and preacher. Van Gogh moved across Europe, including stops in the Netherlands, Belgium and France, where he developed his signature vibrant colors and dynamic brushstrokes.

Van Gogh's productivity was extraordinary; In just one decade he created around 2,100 works of art, including around 860 oil paintings. His subjects ranged from landscapes and still lifes to portraits and self-portraits. Van Gogh's relationship with his brother Theo was central to his life and career. Theo, an art dealer in Paris, supported Vincent financially and emotionally. Van Gogh's life was one of loneliness and poverty, and at the age of 37 he took his own life, but left behind an immortal legacy that continues to fascinate and inspire the world.

Interesting fact:

Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of van Gogh's life is the fact that he only sold one painting during his lifetime, "The Red Vineyard." This work was sold for 400 francs in Brussels, just a few months before van Gogh took his own life. Today his works are among the most expensive in the world.

Important works of art & images by Vincent van Gogh:

- "Starry Night" (1889) - "Sunflowers" (1888) - "The Bedroom in Arles" (1888) - "The Potato Eaters" (1885) - "Cafe terrace in the evening" (1888) - "Self-portrait with a bandaged ear" (1889) - "Wheat field with cypresses" (1889) - "The Bridge of Langlois" (1888) - "The Church in Auvers" (1890) - "Iris" (1889)