One of the names synonymous with the French impressionist school of art was in fact a troubled Dutchman, a man whom history reveals as insecure with family and friends and barely at ease with himself. Vincent Van Gogh was a man in a hurry, an artist of tremendous energy and output. He killed himself when he was only 37, but he left behind him more than 2,000 paintings and drawings, which established his reputation in a way he would never have considered possible. Van Gogh's first artistic impressions were formed, as a boy, from his uncle who was an art dealer. The motivation bore early fruit and from the age of 12 the young Vincent was drawing. The interest led to an apprenticeship in an art dealer's firm. When he was only 20, he was transferred to the firm's London office. In London Van Gogh faced his first major crisis, when he was rejected in love. After that, he turned to religion, expressed disapproval with art-dealing and neglected his work. His boss transferred him to Paris but, when his work was still unsatisfactory, dismissed him in 1876. Between 1883 and 1886, his painting developed into characteristic dark landscapes and scenes of country life. He stressed character and expression rather than perspective and physical accuracy; he was already experimenting with impressionism. By 1890, Van Gogh returned to his brother Theo and his family and was taken to the village of Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris to join a community of painters there. Although clearly unbalanced and unsure of himself, he threw himself into his work and produced many paintings. The earlier happiness with fields and rural scenes had gone. Open country no longer gave him comfort. In fact he was frightened to the point where he wrote to his sister that "loneliness overpowers me in the fields so dreadfully that I hesitate to leave the house." On July 29 Vincent Van Gogh shot himself in the chest and later died in his room. Although he was only 37 years old he has produced more than 2,000 paintings and drawings in 10 years.