11. Unrecognized in his lifetime, Vincent van Gogh suffered from truly difficult mental health issues
Vincent van Gogh (1853-90) was a Dutch painter, considered to be one of the greatest Post-Impressionist artists. Van Gogh is amongst the most popular artists in the world today, and his Salvator Mundi was sold at auction for $450.3 million in 2017. However, he was unsuccessful in his own lifetime, as is often the fate of pioneering artists and writers, despite producing over 2,000 artworks in just over a decade. His life as a struggling artist was extremely difficult, but he was inspired to continue by his mission ‘to give the wretched a brotherly message’ through his paintings.
Van Gogh struggled with his mental health. He suffered frequent episodes of depression, crippling anxiety, and violent mood swings. In a letter to his brother, Theo, he describes the extent of his depression: ‘I am so angry with myself because I cannot do what I should like to do, and at such a moment one feels as if one were lying bound hand and foot at the bottom of a deep dark well, utterly helpless’. In one psychological episode, van Gogh began to hallucinate and cut off his own ear before losing consciousness. He fatally shot himself in July 1890.