He lived his whole life as a poor man. His art and talent were recognized by almost no one. He suffered from a mental illness that led him to cut off part of his left ear in 1888 and to shoot himself two years later. But after his death, he achieved world fame. Today, Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh is recognized as one of the leading artists of all time. Now, 150 years after his birth on March 30, 1853, Zundert, the town of his birth, has made 2003 "The van Gogh Year"in his honor. And the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, home to the biggest collection of his masterpieces, is marking the anniversary with exhibitions throughout the year. The museum draws around 1.3 million visitors every year. Some people enjoy the art and then learn about his life. Others are first interested in his life, which then helps them understand his art. Van Gogh was the son of a pastor . He left school when he was just 15. By the age of 27, he had already tried many jobs including an art gallery salesman and a French teacher. Finally in 1880, he decided to begin his studies in art. Van Gogh is famed for his ability to put his own emotions into his paintings and show his feelings about a scene. His style is marked by short, broad brush strokes ."Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I have before my eyes, I use color more freely, in order to express myself more forcibly," he wrote in a letter to his brother in 1888. Van Gogh sold only one painting during his short life. He relied heavily on the support from his brother, an art dealer who lived in Paris. But now his works are sold for millions of dollars. His portrait of Dr. Gacher sold for $89.5 million in 1990. It is the highest price ever paid for a painting. "I think his paintings are powerful and the brilliant colors in them are attractive to people," said a Van Gogh's fan. One of the characteristics of Van Gogh's paintings is    _   .
the likeness between his paintings and the reality the short time for him to complete a painting the various styles mixed together the special strokes he made