Vincent Van Gogh

I was just researching on Van Gogh out of curiosity and found some intriguing facts about him.
So it was said that Van Gogh consumed yellow paint because yellow was a happy colour and he thought that by consuming it, it would make him happier.
I think that the fact that such a talented being could be mentally tortured till this extent is just so saddening.
That incident aside, there is still the widely-known fact that he performed self-mutilation by cutting a part of his ear off.

Self Portrait - 1889

Van Gogh was a heavy smoker, alcoholic and was plagued with multiple mental illnesses.
His eventual death at the young age of 37 was also thought to be a self-inflicted bullet wound - which wasn't surprising, given his mental state.
But even through all of that, even though he was depressed and evidently, mentally-tortured, he never failed to produce work that spoke of optimism.
He always painted with bright, happy colours, even whilst being depressed.
It was as though he was trying to shed light onto others, yet failing to save himself eventually.
That just makes my heart ache.

Examples of his work:

The Old Mill - 1888

Starry Night Over the Rhone - 1888

Self Portrait - 1989

Olive Trees with Yellow Sky and Sun - 1889

 Cypresses with Two Figures - 1889-1890

Starry Night - 1889

Why do we only mope over the demise of someone after they are gone, rather than celebrate their existence while they were still around?

To the lonesome Van Gogh who had no support, yet continued producing such influential masterpieces even till death, I salute you.

My heart goes out to him.