Vincent van Gogh Biography

Vincent van Gogh viewed color as the chief symbol of expression. His early Dutch works are somber-toned with sharp lighting, while in Paris he discovered Impressionism and began using a lighter palette and shorter brushstrokes. His art is characterized by impassioned brushwork, symbolic and intense color, and the movement of form and line. Van Gogh was completely absorbed in the effort to explain his struggle against madness or his comprehension of the spiritual essence of man and nature.