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A Case Study Of Vincent Van Gogh

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Rosie Ji Dr. Oltmanns Abnormal Psychology 30 October 2017 A Case Study of Vincent Van Gogh One of the most well-known painters in Western Art, Vincent Van Gogh was born into a middle-class family in the Netherlands. Known for his artistic talent, Van Gogh’s life still remains one of the greatest mysteries in art history. Despite the awe-inspiring paintings such as The Starry Night and Irises he created while he was alive, he was considered an outcast and lacked a strong positive social support. In fact, his idiosyncratic ways made him infamous for being the “drunken madman” who had cut off his ear and given it as present to a prostitute. 1. Artistic beginnings. Van Gogh’s introduction to art was through his mother, who was an amateur …show more content…

As mentioned earlier, his mother dabbled with art and his father was a devout clergyman, and both believed that God was always looking over them. His mother was strict with her children and was not affectionate or warm. In contrast, his father was good-natured and mellow but was extremely fervent about religion; something he and his father frequently quarreled about. As a child, Van Gogh was keen on impressing his father but after his decision to not be a minister, he and his father’s relationship fell irrevocably apart. Symptoms of major depression disorder. Although there is much uncertainty surrounding the nature of his mental disorder, many experts hold that he had suffered from major depression. Some symptoms that support this claim are that he had trouble sleeping, felt down most of the time and on most days, had a significantly decreased appetite, and felt guilty perversely. His occupation as an artist did not allow him to have a steady source of income, and he often felt as though he was complete failure as a son, a brother, and an artist. People around him had said that he was lonely, unfriendly, and aloof. This lack of company is undeniably a contributing factor in his depressed mood, further repelling people away from him. . Van Gogh’s unfriendly personality. His anti-social personality and cold tendency also seemed to put off many people. His abrasive behavior was

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