Vincent van Gogh Commits Suicide
July 27, 1890
After years of mental illness and poverty, the Dutch postimpressionist painter shoots himself in the chest. The bullet was deflected by a rib and passed through his chest, but did little damage to his internal organs. He was able to walk back home where he was attended by two doctors. However, the wound became infected and he died on the morning of the 29th. His final words were, “The sadness will last forever.”
He had suffered from mental illness for years, and in 1888, during a fit of dementia after an argument with with fellow artist Paul Gauguin, he chopped off part of his ear and gave it to a prostitute.
Although he created over 900 paintings, which now sell for millions, he sold only one during his lifetime.