Vincent Van Gogh The Successful Failure
Vincent Van Gogh The Successful FailureVincent Van Gogh: The Successful Failure
On March 30, 1852, Anna van Gogh and her husband, "The Handsome Pastor," (Theodorus van Gogh) gave birth to their first child. Alas, the child was born dead. The dead child was named Vincent. One year later to the exact day, Anna gave birth to yet another child. Her second child was named after the dead born child, Vincent. Vincent's early loneliness and isolation sprang from his mother. Anna refused to show acceptance or true warmth toward her son Vincent. Throughout Vincent's childhood he only found comfort in nature, the homes of peasants, and his loving younger brother, Theo.
Vincent lamented the rejection he suffered from his mother for the rest of his life. Vincent must have loved his mother, and so demonstrated this by going along with her dreams for him of becoming a young art dealer, contrary to his life's ambition of serving his fellow men as a preacher. At age sixteen, Vincent was given a job by his Uncle Vincent at a prosperous art gallery named Goupil's. Young Vincent's main regret in leaving the parsonage was that he would miss the company of his beloved brother, Theo.
At age twenty, Vincent fell in love with the big city of London. He moved to London where he continued his career as an art dealer at Goupil's London branch. Coincidentally, Vincent van Gogh also fell in love with a French girl named Ursula. At the age of twenty-one, after much deliberation, he confessed his love to her. He was coldly rejected. This was heartbreaking to Vincent, and his family worried about him frantically. Vincent had a growing hate toward his parents. This hate finally became evident when he rejected both his mother and father at yet another time when his mother had tried to interfere with his life.
Vincent van Gogh quit his employment at Goupil's after a violent fight with his manager. He pursued his life's dream as a preacher. Vincent got a job teaching Sunday school and occasionally giving sermons. This career did not last either, as he was wearing rags and beginning to starve from a lack of food and perhaps a lack of love. Vincent van Gogh went crawling back to his parents for support and a fresh start. Finally, his Uncle Vincent gave him another job--this time as a book salesman. He again failed to succeed and was terminated by his manager. He then went in to the ministry for two years of training. He struggled through the first year, and was dismissed by his teachers. A final turn from all his failures came when Vincent became a preacher in a very poor mining town. He was well liked and accepted, but this was only temporary. The ministry dismissed him of his...
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