Van Gogh – Tormented Genius | Biographical Documentary

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:57:04 +0000

If you have already watched Part 1, please skip to 20.32.

Vincent van Gogh is almost as well known for cutting off his ear as he is for his paintings and has long been thought of as the classic tormented genius – ahead of his time, misunderstood and hounded by lesser mortals who failed to recognize his talent.

But how much do we really know about van Gogh – his unsettled early years, his failed attempts to become a preacher, his disastrous love life, and his tortured but frenetically productive final period?

In this biographical documentary I explore the life, and death, of one of the world’s greatest artists to uncover van Gogh the man, as well as van Gogh the madman.
This video charts his early years and the awakening of his artistic talent and the explosion of creativity he experienced in the South of France and his descent into madness.

0:00-20:32 - Part 1
20:32-53:27 - Part 2

Finding Out More:
There are lots of biographies, each with its own particular revelation. Van Gogh: The Life, by Steven Naifeh and Gregory Smith, is justly recognised as one of the best, although their theories about his death remain controversial. Van Gogh also wrote hundreds of letters, which are very poignant. You can buy a six volume set if you’re feeling rich, or read them online. I have added some of the best biographies and movies to my Amazon store page if you are interested: https://www.amazon.com/shop/professorgraemeyorston

Academic References;
Ter Borg, M., and Trenité, D. K. N. (2012). The cultural context of diagnosis: The case of Vincent van Gogh. Epilepsy and Behavior, 25(3), 431-439.
Van Gogh, V (1876) Sermon: I am a Stranger on the Earth. http://www.vggallery.com/misc/sermon.htm
Vicentini, C. B., Manfredini, S., Maritati, M., Di Nuzzo, M., and Contini, C. (2019). Gonorrhea, a current disease with ancient roots: from the remedies of the past to future perspectives. Infez Med, 27(2), 212-221.
Voskuil, P. (2020). Vincent van Gogh and his illness. A reflection on a posthumous diagnostic exercise. Epilepsy and Behavior, 111, 107258.

Copyright Disclaimer:
The primary purpose of this video is educational. I have tried to use material in the public domain or with Creative Commons Non-attribution licences wherever possible. Where attribution is required, I have listed this below. I believe that any copyright material used falls under the remit of Fair Use, but if any content owners would like to dispute this, I will not hesitate to immediately remove that content. It is not my intention to infringe on content ownership in any way. If you happen to find your art or images in the video, please let me know and I will be glad to credit you.

Images:
Wikimedia Commons
Van Gogh Museum
Wellcome Collection
National Gallery, London

Music:
Johann Sebastian Bach: Organ Sonata in C major BWV 529 Hans Otto. Creative Commons Attribution 1.0
Johann Sebastian Bach: "Little" Fugue in G Minor, BWV 578 performed by the saxophone section of the United States Army Field Band. Public domain.
Ludwig van Beethoven: Grosse Fuge, opus 133. Merel Quartet. CC3.0
Johannes Brahms: Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet - Op. 115. William McColl and the Orford String Quartet. CC2.0
Claude Debussy Rêverie Arr for Soprano saxophone and piano David Hernando Vitores CC4.0
Claude Debussy - La fille aux cleveux de lin - David Hernando Vitores - Kayoko Morimoto CC4
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 5, IV. Adagietto -Peabody Symphony Orchestra CC1.0
Jacques Offenbach's opera Orpheus in the Underworld CC0 via MusOpen
Erik Satie: Gnossienne 1,3, 5 & 6. La Pianista CC3.0.
Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons – Winter RV 297. The Modena Chamber Orchestra. CC1.0

Video produced by Graeme Yorston and Tom Yorston.