No single artist’s oil paintings have received as much attention, or been the subject of as much speculation, as Vincent Van Gogh’s. The museum masterpieces on display all over the world are testament to the depth and passion of a life well lived, not its untimely end.
1.) Vincent Van Gogh did NOT cut off his entire ear, nor did he send any part of his body to anyone through the mail. 
On December 23, 1888, Vincent Van Gogh DID mutilate his own left ear. Van Gogh removed the lower half, leaving the upper portion still attached. He then visited his favorite brothel and presented it as a gift to one of the prostitutes. The police were called; the flesh was taken as evidence, and the artist was transported to a hospital.
2.) Vincent Van Gogh painted the most expensive face ever. Van Gogh’s The Portrait of Doctor Gachet is the highest priced painting sold at auction. On May 15, 1990, the oil painting sold for $82.5 million (USD). The item had been on the block for less than three minutes.
3.)Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous oil painting, Starry Night, was painted by memory, from the inside the asylum at Saint-Remy. This painting inspired Don McLean’s song “Vincent,” a touching ballad that has become a radio classic in the United States. Incidentally, the painting has also been reproduced on everything from sheet sets to Christmas ornaments.
4.) Vincent Van Gogh was a prolific letter writer. In his letters, Vincent Van Gogh mentions and discusses many of his most famous oil paintings. Much of what we know about Van Gogh comes from the letters he wrote to his family members. The largest number of letters that survive are those he wrote to his brother Theo.
5.) Vincent Van Gogh’s mental issues have never been fully understood. No one really knows exactly what caused Van Gogh’s illness. Various theories have been suggested, including absinthe addiction, syphilis, epilepsy, and lead poisoning. It is also possible that his troubles stemmed from genetics or childhood malnourishment. The important thing to remember is that he was much more than a mentally ill person who created oil paintings that eventually became museum masterpieces. Van Gogh was an artist who created powerful, moving works in the face of great obstacles.
Vincent Van Gogh deserves to be remembered for what he truly was. He was a man. He was a painter. He was a survivor. He was a friend and family member. In time, he became known as a great artist who suffered, combatted, and eventually succumbed to a debilitating illness. He himself was fully aware of the challenges of his condition. In June of 1889 he wrote: As for me, I am rather often uneasy in my mind, because I think that my life has not been calm enough; all those bitter disappointments, adversities, changes keep me from developing fully and naturally in my artistic career. That artistic career is his true legacy.
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