Lack of self-esteem and poor mental health: Why Vincent Van Gogh didn’t always put his name on his work

“Vincent.” That’s how Van Gogh signed his works, using only his first name. But the famous Dutch artist didn’t always do so. In fact, his name appears on only 133 of his 840 known paintings… and his mental health and self-critical nature influenced this decision. Over 10 years of his professional career, he only used the name “Vincent” on about 15% of his work. This finding forms the backbone of the first systematic study of the painter’s signature, recently published by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Researcher Julia Engelmayer examines the relationship that this decision had with different stages of his life. It’s true that, beyond the Netherlands, the surname “Van Gogh” is difficult to pronounce correctly. Hence, the use of “Vincent” was also a direct and distinctive way to sign his