The troubled life of Van Gogh, from lonely beginnings to lasting legacy.

[00:00.25]Vincent van Gogh was born in 1853 in the Netherlands into a strict Protestant family.
[00:06.46]He carried an unusual burden from the start.
[00:09.46]He was given the name Vincent after his brother who was stillborn a year before.
[00:14.68]That loss cast a lingering shadow, shaping his earliest memories and sense of self.
[00:20.69]As a child, Vincent was quiet, intense, and often socially awkward.
[00:26.11]He struggled to connect with those around him and frequently found himself retreating into his thoughts.
[00:32.02]Life in the van Gogh household was disciplined and somber, filled with religious devotion but not much warmth.
[00:38.95]Vincent's sensitivity and loneliness were clear even when he was young.
[00:42.84]He drifted from one pursuit to another, searching for purpose.
[00:46.81]He failed to find lasting success in several early careers, unable to settle into work as a teacher, art dealer, or preacher.
[00:55.61]The feelings of being adrift and misunderstood became ingrained in him, deepening his sense of isolation.

Vincent van Gogh was born in 1853 in the Netherlands, into a strict Protestant family. He carried an unusual burden from the start; he was given the name Vincent, after his brother who was stillborn a year before. That loss cast a lingering shadow, shaping his earliest memories and sense of self. As a child, Vincent was quiet, intense, and often socially awkward. He struggled to connect with those around him and frequently found himself retreating into his thoughts. Life in the van Gogh household was disciplined and somber, filled with religious devotion but not much warmth. Vincent’s sensitivity and loneliness were clear even when he was young. He drifted from one pursuit to another, searching for purpose. He failed to find lasting success in several early careers, unable to settle into work as a teacher, art dealer, or preacher. The feelings of being adrift and misunderstood became ingrained in him, deepening his sense of isolation.

Vincent van Gogh

A Difficult Beginning