Van Gogh loved art from an early age. He began to draw as a child, and he continued making drawings throughout the years leading to his decision to become an artist. He did not begin painting until his late twenties, completing many of his best-known works during his last two years. He died at the age of 37. In just over a decade, van Gogh produced more than 2,100 artworks, consisting of 860 oil paintings and more than 1.300 watercolours, drawings, sketches and prints. Vincent van Gogh lived 120 years ago, and yet his artwork is still altering the way we view beauty, persona, individuality, and style in art. His many paintings and drawings have been copied by thousands but duplicated by none. What people today consider the archetypical artistic persona is largely the result of his influence. This book contains 500 paintings on 230 color plates, many of which are in private collections and not easily accessible. The book includes a detailed biography and a eulogy by contemporary artists: Emile Barnard and Paul Gauguin.