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The art world has been mesmerized by Vincent Van Gogh's paintings for years. Before his untimely death at age 37, he painted and drew over 2,000 works.

They say that that all men lead lives of quiet desperation and that is especially true of Van Gogh. His motivation and talent may have come from the demons he suffered. Van Gogh expressed and usually associated his art with the things he loved (or disliked) about life and personal experiences. Not only are the sheer number of paintings inspirational, according to art experts, but his life becomes as sour as a fresh lemon.

Born in 1853, Vincent van Gogh grew up in religious surroundings as the son of a pastor in Zundert, Holland. As he matured, he unsuccessfully worked in several different positions, including being a clerk in a bookstore, an art salesman, and even a preacher.

Following the suggestion of his brother Theo, Vincent took up painting and began as a self taught artist. According to the Van Gogh Museum, "his first works were heavily painted, mud-colored and clumsy attempts to represent the life of the poor by painting peasants and rural scenes."

His usages of colors, favoring dark tones, set him apart from others and were rather dreary. However, his approach began to soon change with the influence of Japanese art, of which he became an avid collector. He admired the vibrant colors and instilled them in his works. Determined to give happiness by creating beauty, Vincent would change styles numerous times.

In 1886, Vincent moved and joined up with his brother in Paris. Theo, who was an art dealer, introduced him to artists such as Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gauguin. These encounters initiated Van Gogh to impressionism. Once again, the style of Van Gogh changed and pointillism made its mark on his works.

Disenchanted with Paris, Van Gogh set forth in 1888 to Arles, France to create an art colony. Joining him in the rural countryside was fellow artist, Paul Gauguin, who had admired Van Gogh s talent in Paris. Interchanging each other's styles, Gauguin did Vincent's portrait. The now famous yellow sunflower series by Van Gogh was a change in style with brush-strokes now in dashes rather than his previous dots. Gauguin left in December as their friendship ended by a quarrel.

Soon after, Van Gogh's mental health deteriorated. The well known story of Van Gogh cutting off a part of his left ear occurred during his period of disillusionment, causing him to suffer a nervous

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