Who was Vincent van Gogh?

He's famous for painting sunflowers, chopping off his ear - and revolutionizing modern art. Vincent van Gogh committed suicide 125 years ago. His work still dazzles us to this day.

Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853. He was given the name of the son in the family who died on the very same day the previous year. He had five brothers and sisters - and he regularly corresponded throughout his life with his brother Theo, who was four years younger. Vincent grew up with his parents in the parish home of Zundert (pictured) and described his youth as "bleak and cold."

Vincent was seen as a failure in the eyes of his family. Every profession he tried his hand at - be it art dealer, naval officer or lay preacher - he soon abandoned. When he moved to the small Belgian mining region of Borinage in 1879 he tried to realize his vocational potential. There, he lodged with a family in Cuesmes and eked out an impoverished existence.

The plight of the miners greatly impressed Van Gogh. Moreover, he identified with the people or Borinage - the coal basin of Belgium. He blackened his face to appear as one of them. Finally, he reached for his pen and documented the lives of these impoverished people in somewhat clumsy sketches.

Today, only ruins are left of the Borinage coal mines - the remainders of a dark time. Van Gogh traveled into the mines to experience the hardship of the miners at 700 meters beneath the earth. He was shocked by the cramped conditions and the darkness and recounted his experience to his brother Theo.

In a roundabout way, he landed in Nuenen, where he took shelter with his parents who were reluctant to take him in. He remained in Nuenen for two years - from 1883 to 1885 - where he painted fields and the famers at work in bleak colors. He also painted simple potatoes without embellishment.

In Nuenen - today a suburb of the neighboring city of Eindhoven - he delighted in living a simple life. He discovered the theme of weavers as a motif, as well as simple and typical Nuenen architecture. For "The Potato Eaters" he produced sketches throughout the winter until the work was complete.

Van Gogh painted at least one picture per day. Many of his works were full of melancholy - some even contained anatomical mistakes. In Nuenen he enjoyed the luxury of a private studio. It can be found beyond the garden fence of the rectory (pictured) - a simple garden shed, where he also painted "The Potato Eaters."

No one at the time could have imagined that this painter would become one of the world's most important artists. After the death of his father, Vincent left Nuenen. With "The Potato Eaters" packed in his luggage, he moved to Antwerp and then finally to Paris. With financial support from his brother Theo, he moved into a humble dwelling and later in with Theo.

On February 20, 1888, he left the French capital, moving south in search of new light. With the right framing and contours, everyday scenes can become symbols. In contrast to fellow artists of the day, his color palette exploded while in France: Red, yellow, green, blue, violet. He worked with complementary contrasts and hugely expressive lines and surfaces.

For the anniversary celebrations this year, 30 institutions have united for "125 Years of Inspiration." In the Netherlands the focus is on his formative years and work, and the influence of Vincent van Gogh on other artists. In the French cities of St. Remy, Arles and Auvers sur Oise - where he committed suicide in 1890 at the age of 37 - the focus will be on Van Gogh the man.