In March 1880, after being fired and returning home, Vincent's younger brother, Theo, couldn't bear to see him in such a state. He suggested that Vincent pursue art, something he had loved since childhood. Vincent, feeling that only Theo truly understood him, took his advice and enrolled at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, where he studied perspective and modeling.
Still life with beer mug and fruit (1881)
For a while, Vincent seemed to be doing well, but then, out of the blue, he declared to his family that he was in love with his cousin, Cornelia Kee.
The family opposed this relationship. Not only was she his cousin, but she was also seven years older than him and had an 8-year-old son. Cornelia herself rejected his proposal, firmly stating that it could never happen.
Yes, it was clear that the two were not mutually in love. Vincent had fond memories of her from childhood and suggested that they date for a year to see where it would go. But this situation was strange, to say the least.
The family, embarrassed, urged him not to speak of this to anyone, but Vincent wrote about it to Theo in letters and openly discussed it with others.
Vincent acknowledged that he loved her but was not loved in return. He lamented that if he had been wealthy, everything would have been different, and he would have been welcomed. Nevertheless, he said he would wait for the right time and not give up.
Young woman knitting (1881)
But before long, 28-year-old Vincent met a prostitute named Clasina Maria Sien Hoornik.
Maria had a 5-year-old daughter and was pregnant. In the dead of winter, abandoned and begging on the streets, she crossed paths with Vincent.
Vincent couldn't just pass her by. He approached her, gave her bread and soup, took her to his room, bathed her, and provided her with a place to sleep. He even imagined a future together, continuing his painting while living with her.
Vincent asked his family to accept the woman he loved, but his father refused. They pressured him to leave Maria.
Just as he was about to rebel, Vincent fell ill and, after a visit to the hospital, discovered that he had contracted another sexually transmitted disease. He was hospitalized for three weeks, but without money, Maria had to continue working as a prostitute.
After being discharged from the hospital, Vincent disappeared, leaving Maria and her two children behind.
A few years later, Maria handed over her daughter to her mother and her son to her brother before taking her own life by jumping into the Helder Canal.
Edge of a Wood (1882)
Though Vincent left Maria, he always felt a deep loneliness. He moved to Nuenen in the Netherlands, where he focused on sketching. His sketches during this time were simple and quickly drawn, with over 200 produced during this period.
Fish drying barn, seen from a Height (1882)
Vincent then met Margot Begemann, a neighbor, and the two quickly fell in love, even promising to marry. However, their families opposed the union. Heartbroken, Margot attempted suicide by overdosing on medication but survived.
Was the family’s opposition for Vincent’s sake, or for Margot’s?
Girl in white in the woods (1882)
Vincent, who always longed for love, had repeatedly failed to find it. Even when he believed he had finally met his life partner, he was met with disappointment.
Lonely and disheartened, Vincent continued to seek comfort from prostitutes. In 1886, at the age of 33, he contracted syphilis once again, leading to another long hospital stay.
At this point, it seemed as though the heavens themselves were opposing Vincent's love life. How could everything go so wrong?
Perhaps this is how Vincent, the sad soul, was shaped.
Sorrow
