Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) is one of the most famous Dutch artists of all time. Due to his enormous drive, Van Gogh produced an impressive oeuvre in those ten years: more than 850 paintings and more than 1300 drawings have been preserved, as well as a large number of watercolours, lithographs and letter sketches.
During his life, Van Gogh wrote hundreds of letters to his brother Theo and other family members and friends. For him, these letters were an important means of communication and an outlet for his feelings. Much of what we now know about Van Gogh's life, his background, what he read, saw and thought, comes from his own 'biography': his letters.