Van Gogh's Migraines

Posted by Jennifer Gerics Sep 29, 2007

Vincent Van Gogh, the famous Dutch Impressionist painter, suffered from severe migraines. He was thought to be insane, but migraines were not well-understood in the 1800's. They were thought to be a form of mental illness. Van Gogh spent time at a French insane asylum, St. Remy, where he created one of his most famous works, "Starry Night." It is said that he drew inspiration from his intense migraine auras. Perhaps these headaches enabled him to create the vivid, colorful paintings for which he is so well-known.