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In short

Van Gogh’s Death

Vincent van Gogh passed away on 29 July 1890, two days after he shot himself in the chest. Why did he end his life?

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait as a Painter, 1887-1888

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On 27 July 1890, in a field near Auvers, Vincent shot himself in the chest with a revolver. He died two days later, with his brother Theo at his bedside. Why did he choose to end his life?

Vincent van Gogh, Wheatfield with Crows, 1890

Vincent van Gogh, Wheatfield with Crows, 1890

Vincent’s letters suggest that he was mentally unstable:

‘my life, is attacked at the very root, my step also is faltering’

To Theo from Auvers-sur-Oise, 10 July 1890

He was also exhausted from working hard and the high standards he set for himself. He was uncertain about the future and felt that he had failed, as a man and as an artist. Even though he was, in fact, starting to get recognition for his work.

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