Van Gogh exhibition, Tate Britain

'I put my heart and my soul into my work and have lost my mind in the process', once said Vincent Van Gogh. At only 37 Van Gogh shot himself in the head. Plagued by poverty and severe depression for the last ten years of his life, Van Gogh's descent into madness is one of the most tragic and omnipresent stories in art history.

So famous, in fact, that Van Gogh's life story was the subject of the first ever painted film, Loving Vincent. Following its international success, Van Gogh is yet again the name on everybody's lips.

Master of sunflowers and broad, rich brushstrokes that bring a rich vibrancy to quotidian scenes, Van Gogh's expressionistic style altered the trajectory of modern art to an unparalleled effect. Spearheading a new revolutionary, Post-Impressionist movement in the early years of the twentieth-century, Van Gogh's most celebrated works now sell for multi-million pound sums.

Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890), L’Arlésienne, 1890, Oil paint on canvas. Collection MASP (São Paulo Museum of Art).Photo credit: João Musa

But an upcoming Van Gogh exhibition, Tate Britain, March 2019, is set to reveal another source of inspiration for the artist: his relationship with Britain.

Spending several years in London between 1873 and 1876, Van Gogh was greatly inspired by British architecture, literature, culture and art accessible to him at this time. Bringing together the largest collection of Van Gogh paintings shown in the UK for nearly a decade including the mystical Starry Night Over the Rhône from Musée d’Orsay, Van Gogh and Britain will trace his work and style from his 'obscure years' in the capital to the extraordinary national fame he achieved in the 1950s.

Tate Britain Director, Alex Farquharson has said; ‘Vincent van Gogh is without a doubt one of the greatest and most influential artists of all time. His stay in Britain changed his vision of the world and himself, encouraging him to become an artist. This is an exciting opportunity for us to reveal the impact Britain had on Van Gogh as well as the enormous influence he had on British artists.' The exhibition will also showcase his influence on modern British artists like Matthew Smith, Christopher Wood and David Bomberg.

Van Gogh and Britain is Tate Britain's first Van Gogh exhibition since 1947; we are struggling to contain our excitement.