and A&E Television Networks. LAST TIME,
AT £22 1/2 MILLION-- AT £22,500,000.
LAST TIME. (male narrator)
HIS PAINTINGS ARE AMONG
THE MOST TREASURED OBJECTS IN THE WORLD TODAY, YET DURING HIS LIFETIME, HE WAS SHUNNED,
AND HIS WORK IGNORED. (auctioneer)
AT $75 MILLION-- FOR YOU, SIR. [gavel bangs and applause] (narrator)
HE SPOKE FOUR LANGUAGES,
WAS WELL READ, BUT LIVED AND WORKED
AS A PEASANT. HIS OBSESSIONS OVERWHELMED
HIS LOVING NATURE. VINCENT VAN GOGH'S MACABRE ACT
OF CUTTING OFF HIS EAR HAS ALWAYS OVERSHADOWED THE INCREDIBLE STORY
OF HIS LIFE. IN 1852, A BABY BOY WAS BORN TO PASTOR AND DAME
THEODORUS VAN GOGH OF GROOT-ZUNDERT,
A SMALL DUTCH VILLAGE. THE COUPLE CHRISTENED THEIR
INFANT SON VINCENT WILLEM JUST BEFORE THEY BURIED HIM. THEIR LITTLE BOY
HAD BEEN BORN DEAD. ON MARCH 30, 1853,
EXACTLY ONE YEAR LATER, ANOTHER BOY WAS BORN
TO THE STILL-GRIEVING PARENTS. THE INFANT LIVED,
AND ONCE AGAIN, THEY NAMED THEIR SON
VINCENT WILLEM VAN GOGH. THE FATHER, THEODORUS VAN GOGH,
WAS AN AUSTERE COUNTRY MINISTER AND HIMSELF THE SON
OF A CALVINIST PASTOR. ANNA CARBENTUS
WAS MOODY AND HIGH-STRUNG. SHE GAVE BIRTH
TO FIVE MORE CHILDREN, BUT IT WAS THEO, FOUR YEARS
YOUNGER THAN VINCENT, WHO GREW TO SHARE
A BOND WITH HIM THAT NOT EVEN DEATH
COULD BREAK. ANNA NEVER RECOVERED
FROM THE DEATH OF HER FIRST CHILD,
AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO FORM AN ATTACHMENT
TO HER LIVING SON. VINCENT CARRIED THE PAIN
OF HIS MOTHER'S REJECTION FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. ANNA PASSED ON HER LOVE
OF THE LAND TO HER CHILDREN. YOUNG VINCENT WENT
FOR LONG WALKS THROUGH THE DUTCH COUNTRYSIDE. HE BROUGHT HOME
BIRDS' NESTS, PLANTS, FLOWERS, AND BUGS TO STUDY. ANNA ALSO TAUGHT HER CHILDREN
TO DRAW AND MAKE WATERCOLORS. VINCENT'S DRAWINGS AT 9 AND 11
YEARS OLD WERE CONSIDERED GOOD BUT DID NOT FORETELL
THE ART TO FOLLOW. DEEP SORROW AND MELANCHOLY
PLAGUED THE BOY FROM HIS EARLIEST
RECOLLECTIONS. HIS LONG WALKS
FREQUENTLY TOOK HIM PAST THE PARISH CEMETERY
AND BABY VINCENT'S GRAVE. HIS NAME AND BIRTHDAY
CHISELED ON THE GRAVESTONE WERE A DAILY REMINDER
OF THE PERFECT BABY VINCENT IN HEAVEN WITH GOD. WITH SUCH COMPARISONS
AND FAMILY EXPECTATIONS, VINCENT WAS DOOMED TO FAIL. AT THE AGE OF 15, VINCENT'S
LIFE TOOK A CRUCIAL TURN. DUE TO HIS FAMILY'S
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES, HE WAS FORCED TO LEAVE SCHOOL
AND GO TO WORK. HIS UNCLE HIRED HIM
TO GO TO WORK AT THE HAGUE AT GOUPIL & COMPANY. IF HIS UNCLE WOULD HAVE BEEN
A DITCHDIGGER, VINCENT VAN GOGH WOULD HAVE GONE
TO WORK AS A DITCHDIGGER. (narrator)
GOUPIL & COMPANY WAS THE LARGEST ART DEALERSHIP
IN EUROPE. VINCENT WAS SURROUNDED
BY PRINTS, ENGRAVINGS, AND PAINTINGS BY THE WORLD'S
GREATEST ARTISTS, AND HE WAS DELIGHTED. AWAY FROM HOME FOR THE FIRST
TIME, VINCENT THRIVED. HE'D ALWAYS BEEN
A VORACIOUS READER AND LEARNED TO SPEAK FRENCH,
GERMAN, AND ENGLISH, BESIDES HIS NATIVE DUTCH. HE REGULARLY VISITED
ALL THE MUSEUMS TO LEARN GOOD ART FROM BAD. IN JUNE OF 1873,
HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO GOUPIL'S GALLERY IN LONDON. THERE, HE SAW GUSTAVE DORE'S
PICTURES OF THE MASSES SUFFERING IN ENGLAND'S
POOR HOUSES. HE FOUND THE IMAGERY SUPERB,
NOBLE, AND TOUCHING. BUT VINCENT WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH A MORE PERSONAL
CONSIDERATION. VINCENT WAS 20 YEARS OLD
AND IN LOVE WITH URSULA LOYER, HIS LANDLADY'S DAUGHTER. SHE WAS IN MOURNING
FOR HER FATHER, AND VINCENT WAS DEVOTED
TO HER. HE FINALLY SUMMONED
THE COURAGE TO ASK FOR URSULA'S HAND
IN MARRIAGE, WHICH SHE DECLINED, SAYING THAT SHE WAS SECRETLY
ENGAGED TO ANOTHER. VINCENT WAS DISTRAUGHT
BY HER REJECTION. HE BEGGED URSULA
TO RECONSIDER, AND WHEN THAT FAILED,
HE ARGUED WITH HER. HE PLEADED AND FOUGHT
WITH MADAME LOYER UNTIL BOTH WOMEN
HAD BEEN BULLIED ENOUGH. MR. VAN GOGH WAS TOLD
TO FIND LODGINGS ELSEWHERE. VINCENT WAS HUMILIATED
AND ANGRY. HE THREW AWAY HIS BOOKS,
EXCEPT FOR THE BIBLE, TURNING TO GOD AND REJECTING THE COMFORTS
AND SINFULNESS OF THE WORLD. HE MANY HAVE TURNED HIS LIFE
TOWARD GOD, BUT HIS ANGER WAS FIRMLY
DIRECTED TOWARD OTHER PEOPLE. HE ARGUED CONSTANTLY,
EVEN WITH HIS EMPLOYERS, AND OFTEN URGED CUSTOMERS, "DON'T BUY
THAT WORTHLESS ART." TWO DAYS AFTER HIS 23rd
BIRTHDAY, AND AFTER SEVEN YEARS
AT GOUPIL & COMPANY, VINCENT VAN GOGH WAS FIRED. EVENTUALLY,
HE FOUND A POSITION WHERE HE COULD PURSUE
HIS RELIGIOUS CALLING BY TEACHING
IN A METHODIST BOYS' SCHOOL. HE EVEN PREACHED
TO THE PARISH CONGREGATION. IN HIS SERMON, VINCENT SPOKE
OF LIFE AS A PILGRIMAGE, IN WHICH MAN SOUGHT GOD
ALONG A LONELY, DIFFICULT PATH. VINCENT KNEW HE HAD A CALLING: TO BECOME A MINISTER
LIKE HIS FATHER. WITH HIS FAMILY'S BLESSING
AND SUPPORT, HE PREPARED TO TAKE
THE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL
OF THEOLOGY IN AMSTERDAM. WHEN HE DIDN'T
DO HIS STUDIES PROPERLY, HE WOULD OFTEN PUNISH HIMSELF. HE WAS SORT OF AN ASCETIC TYPE. AND SO HE WOULD SKIP MEALS. HE WOULD SPEND
THE NIGHT OUTSIDE, RATHER THAN
GOING INTO HIS ROOM. (narrator)
HE STUDIED DILIGENTLY
FOR OVER A YEAR BUT THEN REFUSED TO TAKE THE
MANDATORY LATIN EXAMINATIONS. VINCENT FELT THAT LEARNING
A DEAD LANGUAGE WAS USELESS. "AFTER ALL," HE ARGUED,
"THE POOR DO NOT SPEAK LATIN." THIS IS A MAN THAT SPEAKS
FOUR LANGUAGES FLUENTLY AND WRITES IN FOUR LANGUAGES, AND HE WON'T TAKE
THE LATIN TEST. (narrator)
HIS UNWILLINGNESS TO CONFORM
GAVE THE FACULTY SUFFICIENT GROUNDS
TO DENY HIM ENTRANCE TO THE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY. VINCENT FOUND HIS WAY TO THE
EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF BELGIUM AND WAS ONCE AGAIN
DENIED ORDINATION BECAUSE OF HIS STUBBORNNESS. DETERMINED TO PREACH,
IN THE WINTER OF 1878, HE VOLUNTEERED TO GO
TO AN IMPOVERISHED COAL-MINING REGION
IN THE SOUTH OF BELGIUM. IT WAS A PLACE WHERE MINISTERS
WERE SENT AS PUNISHMENT. HE PREACHED THE GOSPEL
AND MINISTERED TO THE SICK. SINCE THE TIME HIS MOTHER
TAUGHT HIM TO DRAW, VINCENT SKETCHED
SIMPLE PICTURES OF INTEREST. THE DESOLATION OF THE BORINAGE
COAL-MINING REGION CHANGED HIS LIFE
AND HIS PICTURES. VINCENT FILLED HIS ROOM
WITH DRAWINGS OF THE MINERS AND THEIR FAMILIES,
AN ENDURING WITNESS TO THE POVERTY AND TORMENT
OF THEIR LIVES. HE GAVE UP HIS HOUSE
TO A SICK WOMAN, MOVED INTO A MINER'S SHACK,
AND SLEPT ON THE FLOOR. HE LIVED AND SUFFERED
AS A MINER. THEY CALLED HIM
"THE CHRIST OF THE COAL MINES." (Edwards)
I THINK VINCENT DID GET A CERTAIN JOY IN SUFFERING. HE FELT THAT HIS SUFFERING
WAS, IN FACT, HELPING OTHER PEOPLE
TO AVOID SUFFERING. (narrator)
WHEN THE EVANGELICAL
COMMITTEE SAW THE WAY THAT VINCENT LIVED,
THEY WERE APPALLED. A MAN OF GOD
SHOULD BE DIGNIFIED. THEY REFUSED
TO RENEW HIS CONTRACT. IN 1880, LEFT ABANDONED
AND REJECTED BY THE CHURCH, HIS MOTHER,
AND THE WOMAN HE LOVED, VINCENT LOOKED AT HIS LIFE AND STUDIED THE PICTURES
ON HIS WALLS. HE WAS 27 YEARS OLD,
AND HE CAME TO A DECISION. HE WOULD STILL PREACH
ABOUT THE DIGNITY OF THE WORKER AND THE GLORIES OF NATURE, BUT INSTEAD OF USING WORDS,
HE WOULD USE PICTURES. VINCENT VAN GOGH
WAS GOING TO BECOME AN ARTIST. VINCENT VAN GOGH
WAS 27 YEARS OLD AND CONSIDERED A FAILURE. HE HAD NO MONEY AND NO PROSPECTS
OF EARNING ANY, YET HE WAS POSSESSED BY THE PASSION
THAT HE MUST BECOME AN ARTIST. HE WROTE TO HIS YOUNGER BROTHER
THEO TO TELL HIM OF HIS PLAN. IT SEEMED AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK. HE HAD HAD NO FORMAL ART
TRAINING, AND AT HIS AGE, THE ODDS WERE AGAINST
ANY KIND OF SUCCESS. BUT THEO OFFERED TO SUPPORT
VINCENT FINANCIALLY. THEO WAS A RESPECTED ART DEALER
WITH GOUPIL & COMPANY AND ENCOURAGED HIS BROTHER
TO PURSUE HIS ART. VINCENT ALSO PURSUED
A NEW LOVE. VINCENT WAS ALWAYS ATTRACTED
TO OLDER WOMEN IN MOURNING AND FOUND HIS COUSIN KATE
IRRESISTIBLE. SHE WAS RECENTLY WIDOWED AND SPENDING A FEW MONTHS
AT THE VAN GOGH PARSONAGE. WHEN VINCENT PROCLAIMED
HIS LOVE AND PROPOSED MARRIAGE, KATE WAS REPULSED
BY HIS LACK OF PROPRIETY. SHE HAD JUST LOST HER HUSBAND
AND MISSED HIM TERRIBLY, BUT VINCENT INSISTED
THAT ONCE THEY WERE MARRIED SHE WOULD FEEL MUCH BETTER. KATE FLED TO HER HOME
IN AMSTERDAM. ONCE AGAIN, VINCENT REFUSED
TO ACCEPT REJECTION AND FOLLOWED HER. KATE'S FAMILY AGREED
TO SEE HIM WHILE SHE HID
IN THE NEXT ROOM. VINCENT LATER WROTE, "I PUT MY HAND IN THE FLAME
OF THE LAMP AND SAID, "'LET ME SEE HER FOR AS LONG
AS I CAN KEEP MY HAND IN THIS FLAME,' BUT I THINK
THEY BLEW OUT THE LAMP." DAZED AND WEAK FROM PAIN,
HE NEVER RETURNED. HE LEFT INSTEAD FOR THE HAGUE, THE CENTER
OF THE DUTCH ART MOVEMENT. AT THE AGE OF 28,
VINCENT VAN GOGH COMPLETED HIS FIRST OIL PAINTING. THERE WAS LITTLE DOUBT
HE WAS A PAINTER. VINCENT'S ROMANTIC LIFE WAS
HEADED FOR ANOTHER CATASTROPHE. HE FELL IN LOVE WITH CLASINA
HOORNIK, WHOM HE CALLED "SIEN." AN ALCOHOLIC PROSTITUTE
WITH SYPHILIS, SHE HAD
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER AND WAS PREGNANT
WITH ANOTHER MAN'S BABY. IN A LETTER TO THEO,
VINCENT WROTE, "SIEN IS IN POOR HEALTH
AND A BIT UNBALANCED. DISGUSTING TO OTHERS,
IN MY EYES, SHE IS BEAUTIFUL." SHE NEEDED HIM, AND HE KNEW
HE COULD SAVE HER. SIEN BECAME HIS COMPANION,
MISTRESS, AND MODEL. VINCENT WAS ILL. HE LEARNED THAT HE HAD
SYPHILIS AND GONORRHEA AND WAS HOSPITALIZED. ONLY SIEN, HER CHILDREN,
AND WORK SEEMED TO CALM HIS DESPAIR. BUT SIEN WENT BACK TO
THE STREETS TO MAKE MORE MONEY, IN SPITE OF VINCENT'S PLEADING. THEY FOUGHT AND DRANK. VINCENT BEGAN TO SEE HER
AS SHE REALLY WAS, AND A VEIL OF DEPRESSION
ENGULFED HIM. BY THE END OF 1882,
HIS FAMILY, INCLUDING HIS DEVOTED BROTHER
THEO, HAD HAD ENOUGH OF THIS SCANDALOUS AFFAIR
WITH SIEN. THEY THREATENED TO CUT OFF ALL
HIS MONEY UNLESS HE ENDED IT. SO WITH GUILT AND REGRET,
VINCENT LEFT SIEN, HER CHILDREN, AND THE
UNFRIENDLINESS OF THE HAGUE. IN 1883, HE WANDERED
TO DESOLATE REGIONS IN THE NORTHEASTERN
PART OF HOLLAND, DRAWING AND PAINTING. HIS WORK HELPED HIM KEEP
AN EMOTIONAL BALANCE. HE REALLY THOUGHT OF THE DIVINE
AS A KIND OF MYSTERY. AND THAT MYSTERY, FOR HIM,
HAPPENED IN THE FACES OF ORDINARY PEOPLE
AND HAPPENED IN NATURE. (narrator)
IN 1885, VINCENT BEGAN WORK
ON WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE HIS FIRST MASTERPIECE,<i>
POTATO EATERS.</i> FROM THE BEGINNING,
VINCENT WANTED TO PORTRAY THE NUANCES OF THE DARK
INTERIOR OF THE COTTAGE, TO PAINT A PICTURE
IN THE SPIRIT OF REMBRANDT. HE WROTE, "I HAVE TRIED
TO EMPHASIZE THAT THESE PEOPLE, "EATING THEIR POTATOES
IN THE LAMPLIGHT, "HAVE DUG THE EARTH
WITH THOSE SAME HANDS "THEY PUT IN THE DISH, AND SO
IT SPEAKS OF MANUAL LABOR AND OF HOW THEY HAVE
HONESTLY EARNED THEIR FOOD." VINCENT WAS 33 YEARS OLD, AND THIS WAS
HIS FIRST LARGE-SCALE WORK. HE WAS ANXIOUS AND EXCITED
WHEN HE SENT THE PICTURE TO THEO IN PARIS, CERTAIN
THAT HIS BROTHER COULD SELL IT. BUT THEO'S RESPONSE
SHOCKED HIM. HE WROTE THAT USING THE GRAYS
AND BLACKS OF THE DUTCH MASTERS IN A PAINTING
WOULD NEVER SELL IN PARIS. THEO WROTE ABOUT PAINTERS
WITH NAMES LIKE MONET, LAUTREC, AND GAUGUIN AND CALLED
THEIR ART REVOLUTIONARY. THESE NAMES MEANT NOTHING
TO VINCENT UNTIL HE REALIZED THEY MEANT A GREAT DEAL
TO HIS BROTHER. VINCENT KNEW
HE HAD TO GO TO PARIS. (Craig)
AND HE WRITES TO THEO MORE
THAN 40 LETTERS TELLING THEO, "THEO, I'D LIKE TO COME
AND STAY WITH YOU." AND THEO RESPONDS TO HIM 40
TIMES BUT DOESN'T INVITE HIM. IT'S ON THE 40th LETTER THAT VINCENT JUST SHOWS UP
IN PARIS AND SENDS HIM A NOTE
FROM THE TRAIN STATION AND SAYS, "I'M HERE;
COME AND GET ME." (narrator)
IN THE TWO SUMMERS THAT HE
LIVED AND PAINTED IN PARIS, VINCENT WOULD OPEN HIMSELF TO RADICAL IDEAS AND INVENT
A REVOLUTIONARY NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT THE WORLD. FOR SIX YEARS, VINCENT WORKED
FURIOUSLY TO IMPROVE HIS ART. HIS PAINTINGS WERE GETTING
BETTER, BUT HE SUFFERED FROM THE LONELINESS
AND ISOLATION. HE NEEDED TO SEE
THIS RADICAL NEW ART AND TO BE IN PARIS. HE ALSO NEEDED HIS BROTHER. IT WAS MARCH OF 1886,
AND THEO WELCOMED VINCENT INTO HIS SMALL APARTMENT. THEO WAS ONE OF THE FEW
ART DEALERS IN PARIS TO ACQUIRE AND EXHIBIT
THE NEW ART. HIS EMPLOYERS RELUCTANTLY
LET HIM HANG THE PAINTINGS IN A BACK ROOM OF THE GALLERY. VINCENT HAD NEVER SEEN
AN IMPRESSIONIST'S PAINTING, AND HE STARED IN AMAZEMENT. HE HAD NEVER KNOWN
THAT THERE WERE PAINTERS WHO COULD CAPTURE LIGHT
AND TIME BY USING SUCH BRIGHT COLORS. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS, VINCENT
WAS STUDYING WITH LAUTREC, PISSARRO, AND MOST OF THE GREAT
ARTISTS OF THE DAY. HE WAS OVERCOME BY COLOR
AND ITS FORCE. MODELS WERE EXPENSIVE,
SO VINCENT AND HIS NEW FRIENDS WOULD POSE FOR EACH OTHER
AND THEN EXCHANGE THEIR WORKS. JOHN RUSSELL PAINTED
A STATELY VAN GOGH, VERY MUCH THE DUTCH MASTER,
WITH BRUSH IN HAND. TOULOUSE-LAUTREC USED
THE COOL COLORS OF PASTELS TO SHOW A MUCH SOFTER VINCENT. MANY OF THE NEW ARTISTS
ONLY PAINTED WHEN THE WEATHER WAS GOOD
OR THE LIGHT WAS PERFECT. SOME ONLY PAINTED
WHEN THE MOOD STRUCK THEM. BUT VINCENT KEPT
HIS SOLID DUTCH WORK ETHIC. HE WORKED FROM SUNUP
TILL SUNDOWN AND HAD LITTLE PATIENCE
FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T. HE TRIED TO DISCUSS HIS WORK
AND IDEAS WITH OTHER PAINTERS, BUT THEY GREW TIRED
OF THE CONSTANT BICKERING. VINCENT BELIEVED THEY LACKED
THE PASSION OF THEIR CONVICTIONS. NO ONE FELT AS HE FELT,
NO ONE CARED AS HE CARED, AND, CERTAINLY, NO ONE ARGUED
AS MUCH AS HE ARGUED. (Craig)
THE IMPRESSIONISTS ONLY PAINTED
WHEN THE SUN WAS OUT. AND SO WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN,
THEY WOULD GO INTO THE CAFES, PARTICULARLY THE CAFE GERBOIS. AND THERE WAS PISSARRO
AND SISSILY AND MONET AND TOULOUSE-LAUTREC AND PAUL GAUGUIN AND THEO,
WHO WAS PROMOTING IMPRESSIONISM. HE COULDN'T SELL IT, BECAUSE
THE GALLERIES DIDN'T WANT IT. BUT WITH HIS GOOD EYE, HE KNEW
IT WAS IMPORTANT, SO HE WAS NURTURING THE FRIENDSHIP
OF THE IMPRESSIONISTS. AND HERE COMES VINCENT,
WHO SITS DOWN AND WITHIN FIVE MINUTES,
ALIENATES EVERY ONE OF THEM. (narrator)
THEO OFTEN EXPLAINED TO PEOPLE THAT ALTHOUGH HIS BROTHER
SEEMED TROUBLESOME, UNDERNEATH HIS COARSE BEHAVIOR
BEAT A GENTLE HEART. THERE WAS AN ARTIST IN PARIS THAT WAS DRAWN
TO VINCENT'S WORK. HIS NAME WAS PAUL GAUGUIN. BOTH MEN COULDN'T
HAVE BEEN MORE DIFFERENT, BUT EACH SHARED
A PASSION FOR THEIR ART. THEY DISCUSSED THEIR WORK
OVER GLASSES OF<i> ABSINTHE,</i> A CHEAP LIQUEUR
THAT NUMBED THE BODY. TAKEN IN EXCESS,
IT CAUSED HALLUCINATIONS. GAUGUIN AND VAN GOGH AGREED
TO EXCHANGE SELF-PORTRAITS THAT REFLECTED THEIR STYLES AND
HOW EACH MAN REGARDED HIMSELF. GAUGUIN PORTRAYED HIMSELF
AS THE HEROIC JEAN VALJEAN IN VICTOR HUGO'S<i>
LES MISERABLES.</i> IN STARK CONTRAST TO GAUGUIN,
VINCENT SAW HIMSELF AS A SIMPLE BUDDHIST MONK
WITH ALMOND-SHAPED EYES BECAUSE OF HIS FASCINATION
WITH THE JAPANESE ART MOVEMENT. JAPANESE ART AND CULTURE
WERE THE RAGE IN EUROPE, AND MANY ARTISTS EXPERIMENTED
WITH THE ORIENTAL STYLE. VINCENT WAS DRAWN
TO THE JAPANESE APPROACH AND THE IDEA THAT THE ESSENCE
OF A PAINTING IS IN EACH STROKE
OF THE BRUSH. WHEN VINCENT PAINTED<i>
JAPONAISE ORION,</i> HE BEGAN TO PAINT
MORE SIMPLY, MAKING EACH STROKE OF HIS BRUSH
MORE DELIBERATE. HE STUDIED EASTERN PHILOSOPHY
TO ENHANCE THE INNER LIFE OF HIS ART AND HIS SOUL. (Edwards)
I THINK VINCENT DID BRING
TOGETHER EAST AND WEST, PERHAPS MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN
ANY OF THE ARTISTS OF HIS DAY. HE WAS TRYING FOR SOME KIND
OF GLOBAL UNITY AT A TIME WHEN THIS WAS PRETTY
NEW IN THE WORLD. (narrator)
VINCENT DREAMED
OF GOING TO JAPAN, BUT FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE. THEN TOULOUSE-LAUTREC TOLD HIM
THAT THE SUNLIGHT IN THE VILLAGE OF ARLES
WAS JUST LIKE JAPAN. ON A FEBRUARY MORNING IN 1888,
VINCENT PACKED HIS BAGS. HE SAID GOODBYE TO PARIS
AND HIS BROTHER THEO AND BOARDED A TRAIN
BOUND FOR THE SOUTH OF FRANCE. THE LIGHT OF ARLES
BEGAN TO FILL HIS PAINTINGS. HE WALKED
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRYSIDE, SEEING NATURE IN A WAY
HE HAD NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE. ARLES WAS VINCENT'S JAPAN. HE WROTE TO THEO
AFTER HIS ARRIVAL, "I WISH YOU WOULD
SPEND TIME HERE. "YOU SEE THINGS WITH AN EYE
MORE JAPANESE; "YOU FEEL COLOR DIFFERENTLY. "I AM CONVINCED THAT I SHALL
SET MY INDIVIDUALITY FREE SIMPLY BY STAYING IN ARLES." VINCENT DREAMED OF CREATING
AN ARTISTS' UNION OF PAINTERS WHO LIVED AND WORKED TOGETHER, SO HE MOVED
TO THE LITTLE YELLOW HOUSE. THE RENT WAS CHEAP, AND
THE ROOMS WERE FULL OF LIGHT. THE REST OF THE MONEY
THEO SENT EACH MONTH WAS SPENT ON THE BEST
OF PAINTS AND CANVASES, WITH LITTLE LEFT FOR FOOD. VINCENT WOULD GO FOR DAYS
LIVING ON BREAD AND COFFEE AND IN THE EVENINGS,
ABSINTHE. THE FRENZIED ACTIVITY OF WORK
AND SOLITUDE BEGAN TO TAKE ITS TOLL. VINCENT FOUND HIMSELF
BEHAVING STRANGELY, SIPPING ON TURPENTINE
AND EATING PAINT. I THINK ONE HAS TO REMEMBER
THAT PAINTERS COULD GET VERY ADDICTED TO THE FUMES
OF TURPENTINE, AND ALSO PAINT. HE WAS STICKING HIS PAINTBRUSH
IN HIS MOUTH. WELL, HE'D PAINT, STICK
THE PAINTBRUSH IN HIS MOUTH. THE PAINT CONTAINED LEAD. AND LEAD POISONING CAN DO
VERY SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. (narrator)
THEO FEARED FOR HIS BROTHER'S
HEALTH AND STRUCK A DEAL WITH PAUL GAUGUIN,
VINCENT'S FRIEND FROM PARIS. HE OFFERED HIM A MODEST
ALLOWANCE TO GO TO ARLES AND LIVE WITH VINCENT
IN HIS LITTLE YELLOW HOUSE. WHILE VINCENT WAITED FOR HIS
FRIEND, HE WORKED CONSTANTLY, TRYING TO CREATE NEW
AND SEPARATE SOURCES OF LIGHT FOR EACH PAINTING,
FROM LAMPS AT THE TERRACE CAFE TO THE STARS IN THE HEAVENS. HE WAS LOSING MUCH OF THE
IMPRESSIONISTS' INFLUENCE AND WAS USING COLOR TO EXPRESS
HIMSELF MORE FORCEFULLY. GAUGUIN ARRIVED IN ARLES
ON OCTOBER 28, 1888. VINCENT DECORATED HIS ROOM
WITH PICTURES OF SUNFLOWERS AND GAVE HIM THE BEST
OF EVERYTHING. IF GAUGUIN LIVED IN ARLES,
OTHERS WOULD JOIN THEM. SADLY, THAT WAS VINCENT'S DREAM
AND NOT GAUGUIN'S. LIFE IN THE LITTLE YELLOW HOUSE
WAS PLEASANT AT FIRST. GAUGUIN EVEN PAINTED VINCENT
PAINTING SUNFLOWERS. WHEN VAN GOGH SAW THE PORTRAIT,
HE SAID, "THAT'S ME, ALL RIGHT,
BUT IT'S ME GONE MAD." A FEW OF GAUGUIN'S PAINTINGS
WERE SOLD IN PARIS. IT WAS ENOUGH MONEY TO DO
WHAT HE WANTED TO DO: LEAVE. WITHIN A MONTH OF HIS ARRIVAL,
THE TWO WERE ARGUING CONSTANTLY. GAUGUIN BEGAN
TO TORTURE VINCENT WITH THREATS OF LEAVING ARLES
AND LEAVING HIM ALONE, A THOUGHT
THAT TERRIFIED VINCENT. THE ARGUMENTS AND THREATS
ESCALATED. ON DECEMBER 23, IN THE MIDDLE
OF A TERRIBLE ARGUMENT, GAUGUIN TURNED
AND WALKED OUT OF THE HOUSE. HE WALKED FOR A WHILE, WHEN SUDDENLY,
HE HEARD FOOTSTEPS BEHIND HIM. HE TURNED AND SAW VINCENT
HOLDING AN OPEN RAZOR. THE TWO STARED AT EACH OTHER
FOR SOME TIME, AND THEN VAN GOGH TURNED
AND RAN BACK TO THE HOUSE. GAUGUIN DECIDED TO STAY
SOMEWHERE ELSE. HOURS LATER, VINCENT WENT
TO THE LOCAL BROTHEL CARRYING A GRISLY OFFERING
FOR A PROSTITUTE NAMED RACHEL. WITH BLOOD POURING
FROM THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD, HE TENDERLY HANDED HER HIS EAR,
SAYING SIMPLY, "KEEP THIS OBJECT CAREFULLY." HE TURNED AND STAGGERED
BACK TO HIS ROOM, WHERE THE POLICE FOUND HIM
THE NEXT MORNING. VINCENT WAS ADMITTED
TO THE HOTEL-DIEU HOSPITAL. THEO ARRIVED IN ARLES ON
DECEMBER 25th, CHRISTMAS DAY. HIS BROTHER WAS WEAK
FROM THE LOSS OF BLOOD AND HAVING VIOLENT EPISODES
OF DELIRIUM AND SEIZURES. THEO WAS IN SHOCK. HE WROTE TO HIS MOTHER AND
SISTERS, "THERE IS LITTLE HOPE. "IF IT MUST BE THAT HE DIES, SO BE IT, BUT MY HEART BREAKS
WHEN I THINK OF IT." ON CHRISTMAS DAY, 1888, THE
35-YEAR-OLD VINCENT VAN GOGH LAY IN A HOSPITAL NEAR DEATH. TWO DAYS EARLIER,
HE HAD CUT OFF PART OF HIS EAR. THEO BLAMED HIMSELF, AND THE SAVAGERY OF IT ALL
HORRIFIED HIM. LATER THAT EVENING,
VINCENT'S SEIZURES SUBSIDED, AND THE DOCTORS DETERMINED
THAT HE WOULD LIVE. THEO RETURNED TO PARIS,
BUT ONLY AFTER DR. REY AND VINCENT'S FRIEND,
POSTMASTER JOSEPH ROULIN, ASSURED HIM THAT THEY WOULD
TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIS BROTHER. ON JANUARY 7, 1889, VINCENT
WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL. GAUGUIN WAS GONE, AND VINCENT
FELT THE PAIN OF HIS REJECTION. HE WAS OVERCOME BY THE
EMPTINESS OF HIS LITTLE HOUSE. THEN HE RECEIVED WORD
FROM PARIS THAT THEO WAS ENGAGED TO A YOUNG
DUTCH WOMAN, JOHANNA BERGER. VINCENT REALIZED THAT HIS
BROTHER WOULD HAVE SOMEONE ELSE TO THINK ABOUT, CARE ABOUT,
AND LOVE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE,
HIS FRIEND JOSEPH ROULIN TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS MOVING
TO MARSEILLES. VINCENT HAD PAINTED
EVERY MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY AND TOOK PARTICULAR CARE
WITH A PORTRAIT HE MADE OF JOSEPH'S WIFE,
ENTITLED<i> THE CRADLE.</i> HE WANTED EVERYONE
WHO SAW THE MOTHER HOLDING ONTO THE ROPE
OF THE CRADLE TO FEEL THE ROCKING MOTION. THIS PAINTING CELEBRATED
THE KIND OF FAMILY THAT HE NEVER KNEW AS A CHILD AND NO LONGER HOPED FOR
AS A MAN. VINCENT FELT ABANDONED AND TURNED TO HIS TWO LOVES:
PAINTING AND NATURE, ALL THAT HE FELT
WAS LEFT TO HIM BY GOD. HIS PEASANTS WORKED THE LAND, LIVED OFF ITS BOUNTY,
AND, IN THE END, RETURNED TO THE LAND
AT REST AND AT PEACE. BUT VINCENT COULD NOT REST
AND HAD NO PEACE. HIS FRANTIC PACE OF WORK
ONLY MADE HIM MORE ILL. HE HEARD VOICES
AND WAS CONVINCED THAT SOMEONE
WAS TRYING TO POISON HIM. HE WAS ONCE AGAIN HOSPITALIZED
IN THE CARE OF DR. REY. HOWEVER,
WHEN VINCENT FELT BETTER, DR. REY LET HIM PAINT
AT THE YELLOW HOUSE DURING THE DAY AND RETURN
TO THE HOSPITAL AT NIGHT. BUT I THINK THE IDEA
THAT VAN GOGH'S PAINTINGS ARE AN EXPRESSION OR A SYMPTOM
OF HIS MADNESS IS EXTREMELY MISTAKEN. VAN GOGH WAS AT HIS SANEST
WHEN HE WAS PAINTING. WHEN HE WAS HAVING EXTREME
SEIZURES, HE COULDN'T PAINT. (narrator)
THE PEOPLE OF ARLES HAD
HAD ENOUGH OF HIS CRAZINESS. THEY SIGNED A PETITION INSISTING THAT THE DUTCH
PAINTER WAS A PUBLIC DANGER. VINCENT WAS LOCKED IN A CELL
AT THE HOSPITAL, AND THE YELLOW HOUSE
SEALED SHUT. THE PEOPLE OF ARLES
TREATED HIM VICIOUSLY, AND HE COULD NOT BEAR
TO FACE THEM. HE JUST WANTED TO LEAVE. VINCENT HAD HEARD OF AN ASYLUM
NEAR SAINT-REMY-DE-PROVENCE AND ASKED HIS BROTHER
TO MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS. HE SENT THEO TWO CASES
OF PAINTINGS ALONG WITH A LETTER THAT READ,
"AS A PAINTER, "I SHALL NEVER AMOUNT
TO ANYTHING IMPORTANT NOW. I AM ABSOLUTELY SURE OF IT." THEO HAD TWO ADJOINING ROOMS
PREPARED FOR VINCENT AT THE ASYLUM. ONE SERVED AS HIS STUDIO, THE OTHER
AS HIS LIVING QUARTERS. ON MAY 8, 1889,
HE BEGAN PAINTING IN THE HOSPITAL GARDENS. HE WROTE, "DEAR THEO, I AM
ALWAYS FILLED WITH REMORSE, "TERRIBLY SO,
WHEN I THINK OF MY WORK "THAT IS SO LITTLE IN HARMONY WITH WHAT I SHOULD HAVE LIKED
TO DO." WHEN VINCENT LOOKED OUT
THE BARS OF HIS WINDOW, HE PAINTED<i>
WHEATFIELD WITH A REAPER.</i> HE SAW THE REAPER AS DEATH, AND HE PAINTED HIM
WITH A SLIGHT SMILE. IN NOVEMBER,
VINCENT WAS FINALLY INVITED TO EXHIBIT HIS PAINTINGS
IN BRUSSELS ALONG WITH RENOIR, CEZANNE,
AND LAUTREC. HE SENT SIX PAINTINGS. TWO OF THE PAINTINGS
WERE<i> THE IRISES</i> AND<i> THE STARRY NIGHT.</i> <i> THE IRISES</i> HAD HELPED HIM STAVE OFF HIS FEAR
OF HALLUCINATIONS IN THE GARDENS OF ST. REMY. <i> THE STARRY NIGHT</i>
WAS INSPIRED BY A DREAM. THE SIGHT OF STARS
ALWAYS MADE VINCENT DREAM. HE FELT THAT JUST AS WE TAKE
A TRAIN TO GO TO TARASCON OR TO ROUEN,
WE TAKE DEATH TO GO TO A STAR. ON JANUARY 31, 1890, THEO AND JOHANNA
GAVE BIRTH TO A BOY, AND THEY NAMED HIM
VINCENT WILLEM VAN GOGH. THERE WAS MORE GOOD NEWS. ALTHOUGH VINCENT
HAD PAINTED OVER 700 CANVASES, HE HAD NEVER SOLD ONE. NOW THEO HAD SOLD<i> THE RED
VINEYARDS</i> FOR 400 FRANCS. HE HOPED THAT THIS WOULD BE THE ENCOURAGEMENT
HIS BROTHER NEEDED. WHEN VINCENT WAS WELL ENOUGH,
HE WAS ALLOWED TO VISIT PARIS AND HIS NEW NEPHEW. HE BROUGHT A PRESENT
FOR THE BABY, A PAINTING OF ALMOND BLOSSOMS,
REPRESENTING NEW LIFE. THE BROTHERS WEPT
AS VINCENT HELD HIS NAMESAKE. THE NOISE OF PARIS
MADE VINCENT ANXIOUS AND UPSET. SO THEO CONTACTED DR.
PAUL GACHET IN AUVERS-SUR-OISE, 20 MILES NORTH OF PARIS. DR. GACHET AGREED TO TAKE
VINCENT AS HIS PATIENT. WHEN VINCENT ARRIVED IN AUVERS, THE FIRST THING HE DID WAS RENT
A ROOM IN THE RAVOUX TAVERN. MONSIEUR AND MADAME RAVOUX
SEEMED FRIENDLY, AND THE RENT INCLUDED MEALS. THEY KNEW NOTHING
OF HIS ILLNESS OR TROUBLES. DR. GACHET TRIED TO HELP, BUT VINCENT DID NOT HAVE
MUCH CONFIDENCE IN HIM. HE PAINTED THE DOCTOR
AS A KIND, MOODY MAN WITH AN AIR OF MELANCHOLY. IN LATE MAY,
THEO AND HIS FAMILY VISITED VINCENT
AT THE HOME OF DR. GACHET. VINCENT PLAYED WITH HIS LITTLE
NEPHEW IN THE DOCTOR'S GARDEN. BUT BY THE END OF JUNE,
IT WAS THEO WHO WAS UPSET OVER HIS JOB AT THE GALLERY
AND HIS FINANCES. HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT
VINCENT WAS STILL VERY SICK. HE CONFIDED TO HIS BROTHER THAT HE NEEDED TO BE
MORE STRICT WITH HIS MONEY FOR JOHANNA
AND BABY VINCENT'S SAKE. VINCENT WAS CONFUSED. HE TRIED TO THINK CALMLY
ABOUT THE AGREEMENT THEY HAD MADE
SO MANY YEARS AGO. VINCENT WOULD PAINT
THE PICTURES, AND THEO WOULD OWN THEM
TO SELL FOR A PROFIT. HE NEVER WANTED TO BE A BURDEN OR TAKE ANYTHING AWAY
FROM JOHANNA AND THE BABY. IF THEO HAD LOST FAITH
IN VINCENT, THEN THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT. BY JULY, HE WAS GRIEVING AND SO UNCERTAIN
ABOUT WHAT WOULD BECOME OF HIM THAT HIS PAINTINGS EXPRESSED
THE TURMOIL HE FELT. THEO SENT VINCENT THE USUAL
50 FRANCS AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT HIS BROTHER
WAS GOING THROUGH. ON JULY 27, 1890, VINCENT WENT OUT TO TO PAINT
IN THE EARLY MORNING, AS USUAL. NO ONE NOTICED ANYTHING
DIFFERENT ABOUT THE DUTCHMAN, BECAUSE HE WAS ALWAYS
A LITTLE DIFFERENT. THEY HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING
HE WAS CARRYING A LOADED PISTOL. WHEN HE DIDN'T COME TO DINNER,
THE FAMILY BECAME WORRIED, AND MONSIEUR RAVOUX
WAS SENT TO FIND HIM. ON JULY 27, 1890,
VINCENT VAN GOGH WAS TIRED, ILL, AND AFRAID
FOR HIS FUTURE. [leaves rustling] HE LEFT HIS APARTMENT
EARLY THAT MORNING, AND WHEN HE FAILED
TO RETURN FOR DINNER, THE RAVOUX FAMILY
BECAME CONCERNED. THEY WERE RIGHT
TO BE WORRIED. SOMETIME DURING THE DAY, VINCENT HAD PULLED A REVOLVER
FROM HIS POCKET, POINTED IT AT HIMSELF,
AND PULLED THE TRIGGER. [gunshot] HE DIDN'T DO
A VERY GOOD JOB. THE BULLET ENTERED HIS CHEST
BUT DID NOT KILL HIM. HE STUMBLED BACK TO HIS ROOM, WHERE MONSIEUR RAVOUX FOUND
VINCENT BLEEDING TO DEATH. [somber music] DOCTORS GACHET AND MAZERY
WERE SUMMONED, BUT COULD NOT REMOVE
THE BULLET, WHICH HAD ENTERED
BELOW THE HEART. [train whistle blows] DR. GACHET SENT FOR THEO. HE ARRIVED IN AUVERS NOT KNOWING IF VINCENT
WAS ALIVE OR DEAD. THEO FOUND HIS BROTHER SITTING
UP IN BED, SMOKING HIS PIPE. HE WROTE TO JOHANNA AT ONCE, "HIS STRONG CONSTITUTION
DECEIVED THE DOCTORS AGAIN." BUT IT WAS THEO
WHO HAD BEEN DECEIVED. THE TWO BROTHERS TALKED THROUGH
THE EVENING AND INTO THE NIGHT. THEO CAREFULLY LAY
BESIDE HIS BROTHER LIKE THEY HAD AS CHILDREN
GROWING UP IN HOLLAND. THEY TALKED OVER OLD TIMES. VINCENT TURNED TO THEO
AS HE HELD HIM AND SAID, "THIS IS JUST AS IT WAS
AT HOME. TAKE ME HOME." ON JULY 29, 1890,
AT 1:30 IN THE MORNING, VINCENT VAN GOGH DIED IN THE
ARMS OF HIS BELOVED BROTHER. HE WAS 37 YEARS OLD. ON JULY 30th,
DR. GACHET AND GUESTS HELD A SMALL FUNERAL SERVICE
IN THE RAVOUX FAMILY TAVERN. SUNFLOWERS
AND ALL THE YELLOW FLOWERS THAT COULD BE FOUND
WERE TOSSED ON THE COFFIN AS IT WAS LOWERED
INTO THE GROUND. THEO FOUGHT HIS OWN BATTLE
WITH SYPHILIS, BUT VINCENT'S SUICIDE
WEAKENED HIM BEYOND HOPE. HE DIED SIX MONTHS LATER
IN A DUTCH ASYLUM. TOGETHER IN DEATH
AS THEY WERE IN LIFE, VINCENT AND THEO VAN GOGH WERE BURIED BESIDE ONE ANOTHER
IN A CEMETERY AT AUVERS. THEO'S WIDOW, JOHANNA VAN GOGH,
TOOK ON THE DAUNTING TASK OF COLLECTING AND CATALOGING
THE NUMEROUS PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS, AND LETTERS
OF VINCENT VAN GOGH. JOHANNA DISCOVERED
THAT VINCENT HAD LEFT PAINTINGS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT EUROPE. SOME WERE USED AS PAYMENTS
FOR DEBTS OR GIVEN AS GIFTS. OTHERS WERE JUST LEFT BEHIND
AND FORGOTTEN AS HE MOVED
FROM PLACE TO PLACE. THE SON OF A TAVERN OWNER FOUND
SOME OF VINCENT'S PAINTINGS IN THE BASEMENT AND USED THEM
FOR TARGET PRACTICE. DR. REY GAVE HIS MOTHER
THE PORTRAIT VINCENT PAINTED OF HIM
IN ARLES. SHE HATED THE PICTURE
AND USED IT TO COVER A HOLE
IN HER CHICKEN FENCE. VINCENT'S MOTHER, ANNA,
LIVED TO SEE HER SON HAILED AS AN ARTIST AND A GENIUS. SHE HAD THROWN AWAY
CRATES FULL OF HIS ART. (Collins)
I THINK THAT VAN GOGH
WAS VERY MUCH AWARE OF HOW NEW HIS ART WAS, HOW ART IN EUROPE AT THAT TIME HAD TO GO
BEYOND IMPRESSIONIST PAINTING. (Craig)
I HAD READ SOMETHING THAT HE
WROTE, AND I NEVER FORGOT IT. HE SAID, "YOUR PROFESSION
IS NOT WHAT BRINGS HOME "YOUR WEEKLY PAYCHECK. "IT'S WHAT YOU'RE PUT HERE
ON EARTH TO DO "WITH SUCH PASSION
AND SUCH INTENSITY THAT IT BECOMES
SPIRITUAL IN CALLING." (Edwards)
WHEN I LOOK AT THE ARTWORK
OF VAN GOGH OR READ HIS LETTERS, I GET THE SENSE
THAT I'M IN CONVERSATION WITH A SORT
OF SPIRITUAL DISCOVERER, SOMEONE WHO'S FINDING
NEW ROUTES TO THE SPIRITUAL IN WORD AND IN IMAGE. (narrator)
VINCENT VAN GOGH SAW A TRUTH
OTHERS COULD NOT SEE, CAPTURED IT, GAVE IT FORM AND COLOR AND... ETERNAL LIFE. Captioning provided by the
U.S. Department of Education and A&E Television Networks. Captioning by<font color="#00FF00"> CaptionMax
www.captionmax.com</font>
