Starry Night and Bipolar Disorder

What Vincent van Gogh’s painting tells us about his psychiatric condition

Vincent van Gogh is one of the most recognizable artists due to his signature paintbrush strokes and his swirling paintings, like Starry Night. However, people also know him as the artist who cut his ear, an event captured in his famous Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear, and that later committed suicide. Even though van Gogh had a short life, it was very productive in the sense that in less than two decades, he painted over 860 canvas.