Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who came to art after work as an art dealer, teacher, and preacher. In Paris he encountered artists including Degas, Gauguin, and Seurat, as well as Japanese prints, and his palette grew brighter. He moved to Arles in 1888, where he painted the Sunflowers series, then continued working intensely at Saint-Rémy. Across portraits, still lifes, and landscapes, he used saturated color, energetic brushwork, and thick paint to carry mood and expression. The Starry Night, painted in June 1889, joins close observation with deliberate invention.