Vincent’s brother, Theo, was born on 1 May, 1857.
Theo was the best friend and the main support of Vincent during the dificiles years in which he was dedicated to paint continuously and did not sell any picture.
He worked for the company Goulpin & Cia first in Brussels and later on in Paris, as previously did Vincent. The company belonged to their uncle.
Theo was the supporter of Vincent during his hard times, specially after their father died and Vincent decided to live from his art, but could not because he would not sell any paintings.
Vincent wrote hundreds of letters durings his life, most of them to his brother Theo and his sister Willemina, who he called Will. Through these letters we can have a closer idea of the artists life and difficulties as well as his evolution as an artist.
He sent many sketches to his brother Theo, in total 130, of paintings that he was planning to do later on. Some experts consider this letters with sketches as masterpieces because you can evaluate the idea of the painting from the begining, from the source. He would explain in these letters his animic state, his ideas for work, his reflexions about paint, many important things that are now kept forever for us to know the real Vincent Van Gogh better.
When Vincent moved to Paris, went to live with his brother Theo for a while, until Theo rented an apartment for his brother in la Rue Lepic. Theo was an art dealer and he tried to sell his brother’s paintings without success. Vincent found the love and support of his brother very important in his life, when Theo got married and had a child, Vincent started to feel very insecure and depressed, specially because the feelings of guilt from taking money from his brother, because he did not sell any.
Theo pushed Vincent to dedicate himself to the world of the painting. From his job Theo lived well, what let him help his brother economically, he payed for all the artistic production of Vincent Van Gogh, and the pawned one on exposing it and selling it, sending paintings to the Hall Independent Artists in Paris.