Unraveling the Genius: Top 11 Fascinating Fun Facts About Vincent van Gogh You Never Knew!

1. Van Gogh's Camphor Sleep Hack

Having a restless night? Vincent Van Gogh would've given you an "art attack" with his peculiar sleep-inducing hack: the famous painter used camphor, a stimulant and inhalant in medicine during his time, by placing a strong dose in his pillow and mattress to combat insomnia, as mentioned in his letters.
Source => vggallery.com

2. Ear Delivery Misconception

Next time you want to lend someone an ear, remember van Gogh's over-the-top gesture: Vincent van Gogh didn't actually give his severed ear to a prostitute, but rather to Gabrielle, a cleaner at the brothel he frequented in Arles, who worked there to pay off her medical debts after being bitten by a dog. Turns out, this surprise "earsclusive" delivery traumatized poor Gabrielle, causing her to faint on the spot!
Source => lib.berkeley.edu

Did you know Claude Monet's love for gardening went beyond just painting Water Lilies? Discover how his passion for gardening played a major role in his iconic art career!

=> Fun Facts about Claude-Monet

3. Grasshopper in "Olive Trees"

In a twist that might make Sherlock Holmes green with envy: researchers at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City discovered a grasshopper forever immortalized in the paint of Vincent van Gogh's masterpiece "Olive Trees."
Source => nelson-atkins.org

4. Truth Behind "The Starry Night"

Lo and behold the cosmic creation of a stir-crazy painter! If only the walls could talk at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum, a tale of swirling stars and radiant colors would be revealed: Vincent van Gogh indeed created his famous "The Starry Night" there; however, contrary to popular belief, he didn't paint it from the asylum's window. Instead, our whimsical, tortured artist drew from his direct observations of fair France's countryside, and combined them with his memories and emotions, giving birth to a masterpiece that would make even the celestial beings swoon.
Source => moma.org

5. Van Gogh's Smoking & Drinking Habits

In a puff of irony, Vincent van Gogh painted vivid landscapes with swirling skies while rarely letting his pipe leave his lips: A fervent smoker and drinker of absinthe, van Gogh maintained these habits even on his deathbed, which might even have caused his poor health and malnutrition, although there's no solid evidence supporting the legend of him snacking on lead paint.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Theo, the Supportive Brother-Barista

Who spilled coffee on Vincent van Gogh's art career? His brother, Theo the barista, of course: Theo Van Gogh, an impressive art dealer himself, served up strong support for his brother, financially and emotionally, ultimately helping Vincent emerge from a struggling artist to an iconic maestro.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Van Gogh's Actual Sales

Think Vincent van Gogh had as much luck selling his paintings as a fridge salesman in the Arctic? Well, think again: Contrary to the myth that van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime, he actually sold or bartered several, including his first commission from his uncle for 19 cityscapes of The Hague, a piece to a Parisian art dealer, and another through his brother Theo to a London gallery.
Source => thoughtco.com

8. Van Gogh's Painting Speed

If Vincent van Gogh were alive today, he'd probably be the most prolific Instagram artist of all time, making our timelines picture-perfect with masterpiece after masterpiece: Turns out, our dear Vincent churned out an average of one painting every four days, amassing over 900 paintings, 1100 drawings, and 650 letters in just a decade - talk about passion and dedication for the arts!
Source => vangoghstudio.com

9. Absinthe and Van Gogh's Behavior

You might think that Van Gogh and that stereotypical green fairy, absinthe, had a starry, starry night together, and the yellow house was green instead, but the truth may be less intoxicating: Vincent's wild behavior can't be solely attributed to absinthe, as it was likely caused by a mix of isolation, financial woes, and a possible form of epilepsy, not to mention his artistic influences from impressionism and expressionism.
Source => edu.rsc.org

10. Japanese Influence on Van Gogh

East meets West in Vincent van Gogh's vivid imagination, as he fan-girlingly amassed a treasure trove of Japanese woodblock prints like an art-savvy Pokemon master: Van Gogh's enchantment by the Land of the Rising Sun led him to adopt their brilliant colors and bold spatial effects, flawlessly merging these elements with his signature brushstrokes, thereby creating his timeless masterpieces.
Source => vangoghmuseum.nl

11. The Starving Artist's Legacy

Despite being the original starving artist, subsisting on a diet of paint fumes and unrequited dreams, Vincent van Gogh somehow found the energy to create thousands of masterpieces: His wildly vibrant paintings failed to rake in the dough during his lifetime, with only a single sale to his name, yet today he's a household favorite and the great-granduncle of the late Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, who stirred controversy with his unapologetic political stances before tragically meeting his untimely demise in 2004.
Source => en.wikipedia.org