Vincent van Gogh was born in Holland in 1853 as the eldest of eight children. As a youth he took many jobs, finding success in none. He soon began studying the art of the masters and at one point became an art dealer. Although he studied with such great masters as Pissarros, and Signac, Van Goghís paintings never received much acclaim until after his death. He suffered from depression and had repeated mental breakdowns in his life, even spending a year in an asylum at one point. Supported by his younger brother for most of his life, Van Gogh killed himself with a gun on July 20, 1890. Despite being one of the worldís most famous artists, he died feeling a failure.