The artist tells us, through the letters to his brother, what he was trying to achieve. These letters show Van Gogh to be a sincere, caring man who was committed to his art and, for most of his life, very lonely. The relationship between Vincent Van Gogh and his brother Theo, who supported him financially and emotionally, is a model for close brotherly relationships. There are a few scenes of provocatively dressed women and pictures of women in the nude. These do not show any type of sexual activity.
Alcohol use is shown, at times in raucous bar scenes.
Pipe smoking is shown. He first tried to be an evangelist, but failed at that, and turned to painting. He was mentally unstable, at one point cutting off one of his ears. Van Gogh eventually committed suicide. Van Gogh wanted to express how physical objects, scenes and people made him feel.