Vincent van Gogh’s death — “The sadness will last forever”

Today is the 133th anniversary of the day Vincent van Gogh committed suicide.

In the year 1890, a few days after painting “Wheatfield With Crows” (above), Vincent van Gogh decides to go walking into that same field. Behind a haystack, he decides to shoots himself in the chest. Incredibly, van Gogh manages to struggle to return to his room at a nearby inn ... telling no-one of what he had done. 

Only when the innkeeper discovers Van Gogh’s condition, he calls for Dr Gachet — Vincent’s physician and friend (see Van Gogh’s Portrait). Dr Gachet realises the extremity of Van Gogh’s condition and sends word to Vincent’s brother, Theo. Theo arrives the very next afternoon, and rushes to Vincent’s bedside. Vincent lived for two days after the gunshot wound. His brother Theo was able to talk with him. It’s worth noting that both Theo and Gachet believed he shot himself. 

“The sadness will last forever,” Vincent tells his brother as death nears.

Vincent finally dies at 1.30am on 29th July 1890.

In retrospect, I think we can feel the ominous desperation of Van Gogh’s mind in his “Wheatfield With Crows”. The crows flying up from the sombre field due to the reverberating gunshot of a pistol?

We can probably never truly understand the depths of his depression.

If only he knew, how much his paintings were to be loved and admired by so many people.