VincentWillemvanGogh(30March1853---29July1890)wasaDutchPost-Impressionistartist.Heisconsideredoneofthegreatestartistswithgreatinfluenceonthegreatestartistswithgreatinfluenceonthe20th-centuryart.

VanGoghspenthisearlyadultlifeworkingforafirmofartdealers.Afterabriefperiodasateacherhebecameamissionary(传教士)inaverypoorminingregion.Hedidnotbeginhiscareerasanartistuntil1880;howeverduringthelasttenyearsofhislifeheproducedmorethan2000piecesincludingaround900paintingsand1100drawingandsketches(素描).HeworkedonlywithsombercoloursuntilhemetImpressionismandNeo-ImpressionisminParis.VanGoghusedtheirbrightcoloursandstyleofpaintinginauniquelyrecognizablestyle.Mostofhisbest-knownworkswereproducedduringhisfinaltwoyearswhenhewassufferingfromseriousmentalillness.

In1890attheageof37vanGoghshothimselfinthechest.HediedtwodayslaterwithTheohisbrotherandhisbestfriendathissidewhoreportedhislastwordsas“Thesadnesswilllastforever”.Itwouldnottakelongbeforehisfamegrewhigherandhigher.

VanGogh’smotherthrewawayquiteanumberofhispaintings.TheonlypaintinghesoldduringhislifetimeTheRedVineyardwascreatedin1888.ItisnowondisplayinthePushkinMuseuminMoscowRussia.SeveralpaintingsbyvanGoghrankamongthemostexpensivepaintingsintheworld.OnMarch301987vanGogh’spaintingIriseswassoldforarecordof$53.9millionatSouthby’sNewYork.OnMay151990hisPortraitofDoctorGachetwassoldfor$83.5millionatChristie’sthussettinganewpricerecord.

小题1:WhendidvanGoghbeginhiscareerasanartist?A．Attheageof17.B．Attheageof27.C．Inhisearlyadultadultlife.D．Inhisearlychildhood.小题2:Theunderlinedword“somber”inPara.2means .A．colourfulB．differentC．darkD．bright小题3:What’stherightorderofvanGogh’slifeexperience?

a.workedasateacher

b.tookupdrawing

c.workedinanartfirm

d.workedasamissionaryA．cabdB．cadb