a full-time painter after the missionary society decided not to be affiliated with him any longer.Van Gogh initially relied heavily on dark brown and olive colors and heavy brushstrokes when painting. "The Potato Eaters," which he completed in 1885, is one of his finest works during this time period. (World Book p229)In 1886, van Gogh headed to Paris to visit his brother Theo. While he was there, he was at once captivated by the impressionist art he saw. While under the influence of impressionism, van Gogh lightened his brushstrokes and used bright, clear colors instead of the previous darker colors.It is said that the greatest period of van Gogh's short, but high productive art career came near the end of his life. He packed his bags and moved to Arles, which is located in southern France, in 1888. Van Gogh suffered with a violent mental illness which caused seizures. Amidst struggles with that serious mental illness, he produced a series of passionate paintings. The dynamic color and slashing brushstrokes of van Gogh's paintings exhibit his agitated psyche. "A great example of this would be "The Night Cafe," a picture of emotional turbulence conceived Serrano 3and executed with care and rationality." (http://www.hearts-ease.org/gallery/19th-c/post-impressionist/vangogh/bio.html)That same fierceness can be seen again in his self-portrait, completed in January 1889, with his head still bandaged from the self mutilation of his ear which he did during a seizure. In this painting, all the forms were carefully assembled and depicted by hundreds of brushstrokesof genuine color, which give the coat, face, and the hat a bursting energy, even though there are very few colors in this painting - the blue of the coat, the black of the fur hat, the flesh colors, and the background. Above all, it is the haunting face with its deeply troubled eyes that entrances one's attention and sympathy and serves as the main focus. In 1888, van Gogh t...
