Artist Vincent Van Gogh has many paintings that people would recognize on first sight, and others that people aren’t as familiar with but that are equally as beautiful. Two of his most popular creations are Starry Night and Sunflowers.

Most people have seen these paintings more than once, or at least seen representations of them. They might not be sure who painted them but they know that the paintings are popular and that they have a lot of beauty and creativity. Van Gogh also painted Irises, and The Potato Eaters, two paintings that you don’t see represented as much in textbooks and other media. Van Gogh was born in the Netherlands to a family that was involved with the art world, so it seemed only natural that he would be involved with it, as well.

He went to school for theology but failed miserably and hated what he was doing. Eventually, however, he committed himself to his art, which was his true calling, but struggled with depression and mental illness, even being institutionalized for a period of time. Eventually, Van Gogh took his own life.

Starry Night
Sunflowers
Irises
The Potato Eaters