Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) had an eccentric personality and unstable moods, suffered from recurrent psychotic episodes during the last 2 years of his extraordinary life, and committed suicide at the age of 37. Despite limited evidence, well over 150 physicians have ventured a perplexing variety of diagnoses of his illness. Henri Gastaut, in a study of the artist's life and medical history published in 1956, identified van Gogh's major illness during the last 2 years of his life as temporal lobe epilepsy precipitated by the use of absinthe in the presence of an early limbic lesion.

In essence, Gastaut confirmed the diagnosis originally made by the French physicians who had treated van Gogh. However, van Gogh had earlier suffered two distinct episodes of reactive depression, and there are clearly bipolar aspects to his history. Both episodes of depression were followed by sustained periods of increasingly high energy and enthusiasm, first as an evangelist and then as an artist.

Van Gogh suffered a nervous Breakdown in 1880, was shot the 27th of July1890, suffered from depression, epilepsy, and gonorrhea. He amputated his ear.
AKA Vincent Willem van Gogh

Born: 30-Mar-1853
Birthplace: Groot-Zundert, Netherlands
Died: 27-Jul-1890
Location of death: Auvers sur Oise, France
Cause of death: Suicide
Remains: Buried, Auvers-sur-Oise, France

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Painter

Nationality: Netherlands
Executive summary: Troubled and brilliant painter

Father: Theodorus van Gogh (minister)
Mother: Anna Cornelia Carbentus
Brother: Theo van Gogh
Girlfriend: Sien Hoornik (prostitute, cohabitated)