When I first came face to face with Van Gough paintings, I thought a lot about his difficult life, and no doubt his personal story influenced how I viewed his work. When I first saw a Rembrandt, I remember not giving a darn (at that time) about his life, his relationships or his travails....all I could think of was, Wow, this guy's one hell of an artist! Since then I've read some books and seen the flick...but still, wow, what an artist!Rick