Vincent van Gogh’s Life Story – A Walk Through the Amsterdam Museum

The Van Gogh Museum is not just a collection; it’s a biography you can walk through. Instead of memorising dates, follow these 10 life chapters, each linked to a type of room or work.

1. Zundert – Roots in the Netherlands

Vincent was born in Zundert in 1853.

Look for:

• Early portraits and drawings that show an obsession with ordinary people.
• Dark palettes, earthy browns, and quiet interiors.

Question to hold: How do his rural roots stay with him, even when colours change later?

2. The failed careers – Teacher, dealer, preacher

Before painting full‑time, Vincent tried other paths.

In letters and displays, you may find references to:

• Working in an art dealer’s gallery
• Brief time as a teacher
• Attempts to become a preacher among miners

🧭 Theme: searching for purpose, not yet finding a form.

3. The Potato Eaters – A serious beginning

This is often treated as his first masterpiece.

• Painted after intense study of anatomy and peasant life.
• A manifesto: art about working people, with no idealisation.

See if you can sense ambition and uncertainty at the same time.

4. Paris – Colour unlocked

Moving to Paris changes everything.

In these rooms, notice:

• Palette shifting from browns to blues, pinks, and yellows.
• Influence of Impressionists and Japanese prints.
• A burst of self‑portraits — a cheap way to practice.

Ask: Is this liberation, or overload? Maybe both.

5. Arles – The Yellow House dream

In Arles, Vincent wants to build a studio of the south.

Key works:

• The Yellow House
• Bedroom in Arles
• First versions of Sunflowers

Theme: hope and community, painted in clean light.

6. Gauguin arrives – A fragile partnership

When Paul Gauguin joins him, tension rises.

Look for:

• Portraits and chairs symbolising each artist.
• Differences in line and colour even on similar subjects.

⚡ Conflict in paint:
Two strong visions colliding in a small yellow house.

7. Crisis and the bandaged ear

The famous incident isn’t just gossip; it marks a fragile turning point.

In this phase you might see:

• Self‑portraits with the bandaged ear.
• Works painted during or after hospital stays.

Notice how discipline and routine in painting coexist with deep turmoil.

8. Saint‑Rémy – Painting from the inside out

In the asylum at Saint‑Rémy, Vincent keeps working.

Key motifs:

• Cypresses, fields, and olive trees
• Vortex‑like skies and rhythmic brushwork

Ask: Do these paintings feel like landscapes, emotions, or both?

9. Auvers‑sur‑Oise – Intensity of the last months

His final months are spent in Auvers‑sur‑Oise near Paris.

Look for:

• Wheatfields, roofs, and gardens.
• Strong blues and yellows, tight compositions.

These works carry an urgency – as if time is short and ideas are many.

10. Legacy – Johanna, Theo, and the museum itself

The story doesn’t end with Vincent’s death.

Pay attention to:

• Mentions of Theo, his brother and supporter.
• Johanna Bonger, Theo’s wife, who did crucial work in preserving and promoting Vincent’s art.

🧩 Final thought:
The museum you’re standing in is part of the story. Without careful guardianship, these paintings could have been scattered or lost.

When you leave, hold onto one chapter that resonated the most. Was it failure, experiment, companionship, crisis, or late intensity? That’s usually the chapter that speaks most to your own life.