Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) had an eccentric personality & unstable moods, suffered from recurrent psychotic episodes during the last 2 years of his life, & died by suicide at the age of 37. Despite limited evidence, well over 150 physicians have ventured a perplexing variety of diagnoses of his illness. In this article, the highlights of van Gogh’s life & letters are reviewed & discussed in an effort toward better understanding the complexity of his illness. (42 refs)