Vincent van Gogh: A Life Painted in Light and Shadow Vincent van Gogh, born on March 30th, 1853, in Groot Zundert, Netherlands, remains one of the most recognizable and profoundly influential figures in art history. Though his life was tragically short – he died on July 29th, 1890 – a mere decade between his first tentative brushstrokes and his final, desperate act, Van Gogh’s artistic output exploded with an intensity and emotional h…