Vincent van Gogh was a tormented man. From a young age, he was troubled by fits of depression. After a string of unfulfilling jobs and failed relationships, he found that painting would relieve him from his suffering. Even so, he cut off part of his left ear in a fit of rage. While in the hospital, doctors tried to diagnose his melancholy.

Once he was released, he continued to paint. In a remarkable career that spanned a little over ten years, he turned out hundreds of paintings, including at least forty self-portraits. And then, before he was forty years old, he took his own life.

Few other artists have been as successful in expressing their feelings as Vincent van Gogh. Dozens of his works are considered masterpieces. Scholars continue to try to diagnose his mental state—and wonder at the talent that was lost.