A Genius Shaped by the Past, and a Shaper of the Future
Vincent van Gogh is often seen as a solitary genius—an artist who painted in emotional isolation, ahead of his time. While his work is deeply personal and unmistakably unique, it didn’t develop in a vacuum. In truth, Van Gogh was influenced by many great artists, drawing inspiration from their techniques, subjects, and philosophies.
But just as he absorbed ideas from the past, Van Gogh’s own legacy profoundly impacted generations of artists, from the Expressionists to contemporary creators. This article explores the artistic lineage of Van Gogh—those who inspired him, and those he in turn inspired.
Part I: Artists Who Influenced Van Gogh
1. Jean-François Millet: The Dignity of the Working Class
Van Gogh greatly admired Jean-François Millet, a French painter known for his depictions of peasant life. Millet’s earthy tones and compassionate portrayals of farmers in the fields moved Van Gogh deeply.
- Van Gogh once referred to Millet as “more modern than Manet.”
- His early work The Potato Eaters reflects Millet’s influence, capturing rural hardship with sincerity and realism.
- Both artists elevated working-class subjects to heroic status.
Millet taught Van Gogh that the ordinary could be sacred—that toil, labor, and humility were worthy of reverence on canvas.
2. Rembrandt van Rijn: Master of Light and Humanity
As a Dutch artist, Van Gogh revered Rembrandt, especially for his emotional depth and mastery of light. Rembrandt’s use of chiaroscuro—strong contrasts between light and dark—had a lasting impact on Van Gogh’s portraiture.
- Van Gogh saw Rembrandt’s paintings as windows into the soul.
- He studied Rembrandt’s biblical scenes for their empathy and drama, elements he carried into his later works.
Van Gogh’s own use of light, shadow, and introspective subjects can be traced directly to Rembrandt’s influence.
3. Japanese Ukiyo-e Printmakers: Hiroshige and Hokusai
During his Paris years, Van Gogh became obsessed with Japanese woodblock prints, particularly those by Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai. These artists profoundly altered his approach to composition, color, and design.
- Van Gogh created painted copies of Hiroshige’s prints, such as The Bridge in the Rain and The Plum Orchard.
- Japanese prints taught him the beauty of flat color planes, asymmetrical balance, and simplified forms.
This influence is vividly seen in works like Almond Blossom and The Flowering Orchard series—filled with delicate lines, bright hues, and stylized nature.
4. Impressionists and Neo-Impressionists: Monet, Pissarro, and Seurat
Although Van Gogh didn’t consider himself an Impressionist, he deeply respected their exploration of light and color. In Paris, he encountered works by Monet, Degas, and especially Camille Pissarro, who briefly mentored him.
- Pissarro encouraged Van Gogh to lighten his palette and embrace color theory.
- Van Gogh was also intrigued by Georges Seurat’s pointillism, which he experimented with before developing his own impasto technique.
These experiences helped Van Gogh move from dark, earthy tones to the vibrant brushwork seen in paintings like Bedroom in Arles and The Yellow House.
5. Paul Gauguin: The Influence of a Peer
Van Gogh’s relationship with Paul Gauguin was short and stormy, but artistically fruitful. They spent nine intense weeks together in Arles, where both artists pushed each other creatively.
- Gauguin encouraged Van Gogh to paint more from imagination, rather than strictly from life.
- Van Gogh, in return, challenged Gauguin’s symbolic abstraction by emphasizing emotional authenticity.
Though their collaboration ended in crisis, the exchange was crucial in shaping Van Gogh’s later work.
Part II: How Van Gogh Influenced Generations of Artists
1. Expressionism: Art from the Soul
Van Gogh’s raw, emotional intensity was a blueprint for the Expressionist movement. Artists like Edvard Munch, Egon Schiele, and the Die Brücke group in Germany drew heavily from Van Gogh’s style and spirit.
- His work Wheatfield with Crows inspired Edvard Munch’s emotional landscapes.
- The Expressionists admired Van Gogh’s use of color and gesture to reflect inner turmoil, not just external scenes.
Van Gogh proved that the inner self was a valid subject for art—a revolutionary idea at the time.
2. Fauvism and the Bold Colorists: Matisse and Derain
Henri Matisse, a leading Fauvist, once declared Van Gogh to be the greatest influence on his work. The Fauvists embraced bold, unnatural color as a means of emotional expression, a concept pioneered by Van Gogh.
- Matisse’s colorful interiors and portraits echo the emotional charge of Van Gogh’s palette.
- André Derain credited Van Gogh with freeing painters from the tyranny of realism.
Van Gogh’s Night Café, with its clashing reds and greens, was a precursor to this new, liberated color language.
3. Abstract Expressionism: The Painter’s Presence
In the 1940s and ’50s, American artists like Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning found inspiration in Van Gogh’s gestural brushwork and emotional honesty.
- Pollock admired how Van Gogh seemed to attack the canvas with spirit.
- Rothko related to Van Gogh’s attempt to communicate spiritual emotion through color.
Van Gogh’s physical presence in the paint—his thick impasto, swirling skies, and layered textures—laid the groundwork for Abstract Expressionism’s energy and vulnerability.
4. Pop Culture and Popular Art
Van Gogh’s life and works have become synonymous with artistic struggle and posthumous genius. From movies like Loving Vincent to iconic imagery on mugs, t-shirts, and tattoos, Van Gogh’s impact has transcended the fine art world.
- The Starry Night is one of the most recognized paintings in the world.
- His story is a symbol of passion, perseverance, and creative truth.
Even modern digital artists cite Van Gogh as an influence, continuing to draw from his textures, symbolism, and emotional vulnerability.
Did Van Gogh Have Any Formal Art Training?
Not exactly. Van Gogh briefly studied at art academies and trained under his cousin-in-law Anton Mauve. However, his true education came through obsessive self-study. He copied works by Delacroix, Millet, and Japanese prints, wrote extensively to his brother Theo about technique and theory, and painted relentlessly—creating over 2,000 artworks in just 10 years.
Van Gogh’s journey proves that genius doesn’t always require traditional schooling—just discipline, curiosity, and a relentless drive to create.
Conclusion: A Ripple Through Art History
Van Gogh was more than just a solitary painter with a tragic end. He was a bridge—between realism and abstraction, observation and emotion, the 19th and 20th centuries. Influenced by the likes of Millet, Rembrandt, and Japanese printmakers, he synthesized their ideas into something profoundly personal.
And in doing so, he became a beacon for artists seeking to express something deeper than surface beauty. His influence is still felt today—in every brushstroke that dares to feel more than it sees.