This detailed introduction to Vincent van Gogh takes a fresh approach to exploring the life and work of this modern master, re-examining his legacy on British art and the formation of his iconic status .

Vincent van Gogh’s (1853–1890) paintings are among the most reproduced and recognisable in the history of art. His short career as an artist produced over 800 paintings, most created in the last two years of his life. Van Gogh’s intimate reflections on life and art, revealed through his letters, allow a close understanding of the artist’s journey from obscurity. His vivid use of colour and expressive brushwork influenced artists and writers and inflected popular culture in the twentieth century and beyond.

Hattie Spires is Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary British Art at Tate Britain.