Death

Vincent Van Gogh continuously struggled with mental illness. This illness began and was worsened by his painting. Van Gogh was an oil painter and turpentine is used to clean paintbrushes.

As you painted and cleaned his brushes he would stick his paintbrush in his mouth and twist to get a point on the brush. After a few years of this, the turpentine ate away at his brain and caused his mental illness.

Eventually, this caused a psychotic break and gave Van Gogh great boats of paranoia. Due to this paranoia, he felt his friend and studio mate Gauguin was going to leave him. He began stalking and following him everywhere. At the peak of this break, he took a knife and threatened Gauguin. Instead of harming Gauguin, he cut off his own ear. He sent his ear to a girl he liked to gain her love, it did not work.

From this event his brother had him committed to an insane asylum. While there he attempted suicide stating it was "for the good of all". This attempt did not immediately conclude in death but a few days later he did pass.