Early this morning I was ordering tubes of paint on line searching for colors with the consistency and texture I was after. Came across this review-

"I have ordered colors from Schoenfeld in Düsseldorf, as there were some colors which I couldn´t get here…the picture with the potato eaters is not good in some details…I should have had a better result with the Schoenfeld mineral blue that I have now , instead of the old one."

- Vincent van Gogh

Potato Eaters

Vincent van Gogh 

Wow, Vincent, thanks. Good to know.

Need some mineral blue.

Made me want more.

What else did Vincent recommend?

Did some research.

Van Gogh was born March 30, 1853 and died July 29, 1890 at the young age of 37.

Van Gogh was born in Holland.

He was supposed to follow his father's footsteps and become a pastor. And while he didn't follow his father, he didn't start painting until he was about 27.

Van Gogh painted his most famous masterpiece, Starry Night, while residing in a mental institution. 

Vincent only sold one painting during his lifetime.

He painted approximately 900 paintings in only about 10 years, that's amazing!

When he was a child, Vincent had to walk past a tombstone with his own name on it on the way to school- the tombstone belonged to his brother with the same name who died as an infant.

Vincent was good friends with another famous painter, Paul Gauguin. 

The story of Van Gogh cutting off his own ear may have actually been false as new evidence suggests it was his friend, Paul Gauguin who cut his earlobe off.

Paul Gauguin said Van Gogh attached him with a razor.......

Van Gogh has painted over 30 self portraits of himself between 1886 and 1889. Narcissistic much? 

Vincent was known for eccentrically wearing candles on his hat so that he could paint at night.

Actually, Francisco Goya is credited with inventing the candle hat for painting.

Sunflowers

Vincent van Gogh

900 paintings in ten years and only selling one.....

I totally understand why he pushed Schoenfeld paints.