Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in theBrabant village of Zundert.

He had
six siblings. The Van Gogh family regularly walked in the Zundert area. Those walks
formed the basis of Vincent's love for nature.When Vincent was eleven, he
transferred from the village school in Zundert to a boarding school in Zevenbergen.
Although he hated it there he still completed his primary school education there.
There was less evidence of his artistic talent even though he occasionally drew. At
the age of thirteen he went to HBS but he left it halfway. The reason why he left
school is unknown. He would not return to school again. Through an uncle, Vincent
was able to work as an apprentice at the international art dealership Goupil & Cie at
the age of sixteen. He went to work at Goupil in Brussels in early 1873. In the same
year Vincent was transferred to Goupil in London. Vincent has spent a lot of time
looking for his life's purpose. He experimented with a variety of careers, including art
dealer, teacher, and lay preacher. In the end, Vincent's younger brother Theo assisted
him in discovering what he wanted to do.

Among the numerous artists that affected Van Gogh were Millet, Monet, Gauguin, and
maybe most importantly, the Japanese painter Hiroshige (1797–1858).

In a September 1888 letter to his brother Theo, Van Gogh wrote:

"Just consider that; these Japanese, who are so straightforward and who exist in the
natural world as though they were flowers themselves, are teaching us anything like a
new religion? In addition, it appears to me that studying Japanese art would prevent us
from being happier and more content, since it forces us to reconnect with nature in spite
of our education and careers in a conventional society.
Van Gogh had already had three unsuccessful careers: that of an art dealer, a teacher,
and a bookstore by 1878.

He then gave up on his theology studies in the years 1878–1880 before ever attending
a class, was turned down for a Brussels evangelism training program, and had his
appointment as a lay preacher—a role that didn't require formal training—not even
renewed.

For over a year, Vincent struggled with a deep depression and was entirely dependent
on his own resources. In the end, he made the decision to follow Theo's guidance and
pursue painting.
He had always been fond of art and enjoyed painting. However, considering that
Vincent was undoubtedly not a natural talent, this was still somewhat of a wild guess.