Art Captions

Author notes

0050. Self-portrait with a pipe.

CornTown

on Feb. 28, 2010

By Vincent Van Gogh. (1853-1890)
Circa. 1886
Post-Impressionism

For the 50th comic, I have chosen the most requested artist from e-mails (From the only one I got) Vincent Van Gogh.

When someone thinks of the tormented artist, Van Gogh is the man who first comes to mind. During his life, Van Gogh would go on to create over nine-hundred paintings, sometimes starting and completing an entire painting in one day. More amazing than this however is that Van Gogh had never even picked up a paint brush until he was thirty, meaning that he produced everyone of his paintings in a mere seven years! Though he is mostly remembered for his bright color Platte and thick layers of paint, Van Gogh's earlier works consisted of dark browns and blacks; it was only in the last five years that he began using his trademark colors.

In his lifetime, Van Gogh only sold one painting. Today, his work can sell upwards of a million dollars. His painting, “Portrait of Dr. Gachet” was at one point, the most expensive painting ever sold, selling for an amazing 85.2 million dollars.

Jacob "Corntown" Gray