A few facts about Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh was born in Brabant in the Netherlands in 1853. As a young man he worked as an art dealer in London and Paris. He was dismissed from this job because he had argued with customers about art.
In 1881 he tried to commit suicide. He was depressed because he felt in love with his cousin, but she had rejected him.
In 1886 he went to Paris to study art and it was while he was studying that he met Degas, Monet, Renoir. After two years living in Paris, Van Gogh went to live in Arles in the south of France. His friend Gauguin who he had met in Paris came to join him. The two men settled down in Arles, but there was a lot of tension between them. Vincent used to drink more and more, they quarrelled a lot mainly about the nature of art.
One night in December 1888, Van Gogh left the house carrying a razor blade. He had been drinking and he had had an argument with Gauguin. He cut off part of his ear.
After this he moved voluntarily into an asylum for the insane at St-Remy-de-Provence. He used to wake up at six in the morning and go out to paint. It was here, in the last two years of his life that many of his famous paintings were completed. These included "Starry Night", "Irises", "Self-Portrait without a Beard".
In 1890 he left St-Remy-de-Provence and moved to Auvers-sur-Oise. He continued here working despite his growing depression. Vincent shot himself in the chest while he was painting outside. Two days later, he died. He was buried in the cementary in Auvers.
When Vincent Van Gogh died he had no money because he had only sold one of his paintings, "The Red Vineyard", in his entire life. His sister-in-law took his collection to Holland, where his work was published. He was instantly recognized as a genius.

"Irises" was sold for $53.9 million in 1987

"Self-Portrait without a Beard" was sold for $71.5 million in 1998

"The Red Vineyard" was sold for 400 francs in 1890