| Born | 30 March 1853 (age 169) Zundert, Netherlands |
| Died | 9 December 1929 (age 76) Paris, France |
| Field | Art |
| Works | The Vase with Twelve Sunflowers • Wheatfield with Crows |
| Family | Born into a wealthy family of art dealers and collectors |
| Legacy | Influential painter and leading figure of Post-Impressionism |
| Movement | |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Notable relationships | Paul Cézanne • Claude Monet |
Born into a wealthy Dutch family, Vincent van Gogh showed an aptitude for visual arts at a young age. His parents funded his education at prestigious art academies, where he honed his skills in traditional oil painting techniques. His early years were marked by the influence of Dutch Masters and a fascination with capturing the local landscapes.
Van Gogh's artistic style began to evolve during his travels in Europe, when he encountered other rising painters such as Paul Cézanne and Claude Monet. He developed strong relationships with his fellow artists, frequently engaging in collaborative projects and exchanging artistic ideas. Inspired by their new approach to color and form, van Gogh moved away from traditional realism and began to employ a more vibrant and expressive style.
In this alternate timeline, van Gogh was celebrated during his lifetime, achieving great success in the formal art world. This recognition allowed him to remain financially stable without the need to rely on family support as was his reality in our timeline. As a result, van Gogh experienced much less mental health struggles. His artistic output was vast and much more varied, including numerous portraits, landscapes, and still life paintings.
With his peers, van Gogh became a pioneer of Post-Impressionism, a movement that sought to break free from the conformity of the academic style. This group of artists rejected traditional perspective and shading, instead emphasizing color as a means of representation and emotion. Van Gogh's distinctive use of bold colors, thick brushstrokes, and abstract representations of light became iconic of the movement.
Over the years, van Gogh produced a large number of works, with some of the most notable in this timeline being "The Vase with Twelve Sunflowers", "Wheatfield with Crows", "Starry Night", and "Café Terrace at Night". These pieces, while maintaining the core visual elements of their counterparts in our timeline, differ due to the alternate circumstances of van Gogh's life and career. These works continued to be celebrated for their evocative interpretations of nature, human emotion, and the physical world.
Vincent van Gogh passed away peacefully in his old age, surrounded by his loving family. His vast body of work continued to have a deep impact on the art world, as his distinctive style and contributions to Post-Impressionism influenced several generations of artists. Van Gogh's legacy in this timeline is one of unparalleled success and brilliance, standing as a testament to the transformative power of art and creativity.
