Vincent and Theo Van Gogh: A Tale of Brotherly Love

Theo was Vincent’s greatest supporter and the reason Vincent became an artist. Although he was four years Vincent’s junior, Theo took on the role of a wise, older brother. He encouraged Vincent to pursue his artistic talents and provided him with the financial means that allowed him to focus on his art. Vincent was ever grateful for Theo’s assistance and love, evidenced in the many letters that survive from the brothers’ lifelong correspondence.

Vincent van Gogh was born on 30 March 1853 in Zundert in the Brabant region of the Netherlands. He was the eldest surviving child of Theodorus van Gogh, a Protestant minister, and Anna Carbentus. Five siblings followed, including Theo, who was born on the 1st of May in 1857. Both brothers began their working lives at the international art dealer group Goupil & Cie. Unlike Theo, who would go on to forge a successful career as an art dealer, the job was the first of many for older brother Vincent. Helped by his uncle, he was taken on at just 16 years old as a trainee at The Hague branch. At the same age, in 1873, Theo began working for the company and was based in Brussels. The brothers started writing letters to each other just before Theo joined Goupil & Cie, marking the beginning of a lifelong correspondence.

In the same year that Theo joined the company, Vincent was transferred to the branch in London. He spent his time visiting art institutions such as the British Museum and the National Gallery where he admired works by so-called “peasant painters,” including François Millet and Jules Breton. Vincent was transferred once more in 1875, this time to Paris. During this period, he became less interested in his job and increasingly religious. In 1876, he was dismissed from his role at Goupil & Cie.

Vincent’s Varied Careers

After spending Christmas 1876 in the Netherlands, Vincent decided not to return to England. His uncle once again helped secure him a job, this time at a bookshop in Dordrecht. Vincent’s deep interest in religion showed no signs of abating and a few months after beginning this job his parents agreed to his plan to study theology. However, it was soon evident that he did not possess the discipline to study for the entrance exam, so instead, he headed to Belgium where he worked as a lay preacher. He spent some time living among miners and giving Bible readings, but, despite his dedication to the cause, his contract was not renewed and Vincent once again found himself out of work.

By 1880, Vincent was 27 years old and still had no career or clear path. Theo advised him to concentrate on his drawing, having noticed that Vincent was a gifted artist in the sketches included with his letters. Vincent moved to Brussels where he met other artists and spent time improving his drawing technique. Theo began to send Vincent money to support him.

In the spring of 1881, Vincent moved back in with his parents, now based in Etten. He spent much of his time drawing and working out of doors. Theo, who had by this time been appointed as manager of Goupil & Cie’s Paris branch, continued to assist his older brother financially and encouraged his new calling. Their parents, meanwhile, disapproved of their eldest son’s career choice. The dynamic in the Van Gogh household was strained. Following an argument with his father, brought about by Vincent’s inappropriate infatuation with his widowed cousin, he left his parents’ house on Christmas Day in 1881.

Days earlier, Vincent had written in a letter to Theo: “Pa cannot empathize or sympathize with me, and I cannot settle in to Pa and Ma’s routine, it’s too constricting for me—it would suffocate me.” Vincent moved to The Hague and continued to work hard to improve his skills, taking painting and drawing lessons with his artist uncle, Anton Mauve (1838–88). Theo’s financial help continued, even when Vincent made decisions that his brother disapproved of, such as his relationship with former sex worker Sien Hoornik. At the end of 1883, after his romantic relationship ended, Vincent moved back near his parents, now living in Nuenen. The setting was ideal for a “peasant painter,” and Vincent spent much of his time sketching and painting the rural scenes and farmers.

Early in 1884, he suggested to Theo that he send him his artworks in exchange for the allowance Theo was still providing. The following year, Vincent created his early masterpiece, The Potato Eaters. He wrote to Theo to discuss his idea for the painting and included sketches. He acknowledged Theo’s help and his plans to share his success with his brother: “Because the money from you that I know causes you trouble enough to provide for me, gives you the right, if anything good happens in my work, to consider half of it as your own creation.”

Following a short stay in Belgium, where he enrolled at, and subsequently dropped out of, The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, Vincent moved to Paris. The brothers decided to live together, although Theo did not find it an easy situation, describing Vincent as having two personalities, one refined and gentle, and the other selfish and unfeeling. He remained supportive of his brother’s talent, and wrote to their sister Willemien, in March 1887: “He is certainly an artist…if he succeeds in his work there will certainly come a day when he will begin to sell his pictures.” Vincent was grateful for his brother’s ongoing encouragement. In a letter to the same sister later that year Vincent wrote: “If I didn’t have Theo it wouldn’t be possible for me to do justice to my work.”

Vincent’s time in Paris had a profound effect on his art. Theo introduced his brother to the colorful art of modern artists, such as Claude Monet (1840–1926), which inspired and influenced Vincent who began to develop his unique style. He studied at the studio of Fernand Cormon (1845–1924) where he met a new generation of forward-thinking artists, including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901) and Emile Bernard (1868–1941). As Vincent’s style developed, his subject matter also changed. Gone were the dark-toned bucolic scenes of his native Netherlands, replaced by bright scenes of Parisian cafes and boulevards, and still lifes of flowers.

Another new inspiration also began to inform his work at this time—Japanese woodcuts. The brothers started collecting Japanese prints, eventually building a collection of more than 600 works. It was in Paris, in 1887, that the Van Gogh brothers met Paul Gauguin (1848–1903), with whom each brother formed a significant relationship. Theo became his dealer, and Vincent and Gauguin began a tumultuous friendship that would greatly impact both of their lives and art.

After two years in Paris, Vincent tired of the fast-paced city life and yearned for the warmth and light of sunnier climes. He moved to Arles in Provence, South of France. Theo missed the presence of his brother in Paris, he wrote to Willemien: “There is a definite void here now that I am once more living alone in the apartment.” Theo continued his financial and emotional support of Vincent, who hoped to establish a Studio of the South. Vincent invited Gauguin to join him in Arles, but it was only through Theo’s persuasion and the promise of financial assistance that Gauguin accepted. Theo’s orchestration in Gauguin’s move to Arles initiated a significant chapter in his brother’s life and career.

The two artists lived and worked together during the autumn of 1888. They encouraged each other to push the boundaries of their art and their time together was productive. However, their relationship was fraught and they disagreed over many things. The situation deteriorated, and in December 1888 the pair had a heated argument, following which, Vincent suffered a mental breakdown that resulted in him cutting off his own ear. Gauguin told Theo the news by telegram and he rushed down to the South of France to visit Vincent. After his recovery and discharge from hospital, Vincent continued living and painting in Arles for several months, even though Gauguin had left for Paris after their argument. Vincent’s mental state remained unsettled and fearing a further breakdown he decided to admit himself to an asylum at Saint-Rémy in May 1889.

Vincent continued to paint whilst at the asylum and was prolific, producing about 150 paintings in one year, including some of his most famous works. As always, he sent his finished canvases to Theo. One particular work from this period was personal to his brother. Theo had married in April 1889, and in January 1890 his wife, Jo, gave birth to a son. The couple named him Vincent Willem, after his uncle. Vincent was delighted, and he painted Almond Blossoms as a gift for Theo and Jo to celebrate his nephew’s arrival, the blossoming tree symbolizing new life. The influence of Japanese printmaking, an appreciation of which the brothers shared, is also clearly evident in the painting.

Vincent and Theo Van Gogh: Final Days

The brothers continued their correspondence throughout Vincent’s time at the asylum. Theo, meanwhile, consistently advocated Vincent’s work in Paris and submitted several of his paintings to the 1890 Salon des Indépendants where they were well received. In May of that year, Vincent left the asylum and went to live in Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris. Over the next few months, he spent some time with his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. He visited them in Paris, and they traveled to see Vincent in his new home.

Not long after Vincent had established himself in Auvers-sur-Oise, he once again fell into a depression, and on 27 July 1890, he attempted suicide by shooting himself in the chest. He was fatally wounded. On hearing the news, Theo rushed to be by his side and stayed with his brother until the end. Theo was devastated, he wrote to Jo: “I miss him so; everything seems to remind me of him.”

Sadly, there was more tragedy to come for the Van Goghs. A few months later, Theo also died, leaving behind his wife and son. Knowing how much the brothers meant to each other, Jo ensured Vincent and Theo were buried side by side. She then committed herself to promoting Vincent’s work. It was Theo’s unwavering support and his wife’s dedication that ultimately secured Vincent’s fame and his place in history as one of the world’s greatest artists.