Vincent van Gogh was a post-impressionist Dutch painter born in 1853 who drew as a child but did not start painting until his late twenties. He produced over 2,100 paintings in his lifetime, known for their rough beauty, emotional honesty and bold use of color. Van Gogh suffered from severe mental illness throughout his life and took his own life in 1890 at the age of 37. He painted portraits, self-portraits, landscapes, and still lifes, expressing his feelings through his work which had a far-reaching influence on 20th century art, though he was not considered a successful artist during his own lifetime.