Vincent van Gogh at AwesomeStories

In July of 1890, Vincent van Gogh, a Dutch artist living in the French village of Auvers, had created nearly eighty paintings in less than three months.

In recent weeks, he’d been attracted by the fields and plains not far from the inn where he lived that summer. At the height of his genius, the prolific artist was despondent.
                    
Thirty-seven years old, Vincent was financially supported by an ailing brother and had produced more than eight hundred paintings which no one wanted to buy. In his entire career, it is believed that van Gogh sold only one work—"The Red Vineyard"—which he painted in 1888 (and Anna Boch purchased in 1890).

At dusk—on Sunday, the 27th of July, 1890—Vincent walked to a field in Auvers-sur-Oise and ended his life.

In this story about van Gogh, his life and his stunning art, explore:

• Who was Vincent?

• Which artists influenced him?

• How did he develop his talents?

• How did his relationships shape his life?

• Why did he often work at such a furious pace?

• Which paintings did he create during the last months of his life?

In this story behind the art, also discover Vincent the man:

• Study his paintings through a virtual art show;

• See where he worked and lived;

• Examine some of his early influences and read some of his letters;

• Uncover his thoughts as he created some of the world’s finest masterpieces;

• Track how his paintings evolved from his use of dark-to-brilliant colors; and

• Gain a better understanding of a genius whose work remains among the most highly valued in the world.

Learning about the life and work of this amazing Dutch artist comes alive at AwesomeStories. Depending on a teacher’s preference, students can:

• “See” the story unfolding before their eyes in class (then view it, with their parents, at home);

• “Experience” the story (via Vincent’s own words and paintings);

• "Think about” the story (with essential questions, such as “How do we move forward when life seems so upsetting?”); and

• “Study” the story (with lots of pictures and videos, including clips about van Gogh and the power of art and modern culture).

Using an integrated approach—combining visual arts, historical materials, social studies and language arts—students investigate the story in personalized-learning fashion with words and concepts suitable for a range of achievement levels. Students can then create their own stories, using the AwesomeStories’ archive of primary sources, to produce their own related stories to share with their class, their family and (if accepted for publication) … the whole online world!