Vincent van Gogh: My Story – YouTube Dictation Transcript & Vocabulary

1.you probably know me already I'm famous the world over but do you know my story Brabant painted just as I remember it that's where I grew up I was different from the others stubborn always in trouble at home and at school things were better outdoors I loved being out in the fields do you know what you want to be yet well I certainly didn't I was an art dealer in Paris in London a teacher in England a priest in Belgium I tried the lot nothing worked out my brother Theo my best friend had an idea Vincent you're good at drawing why don't you do something with that well he was right I was always drawing and I could learn how to paint there was no time to lose practice practice practice I was unstoppable Anton mouthed my cousin and a famous artist taught me how to paint in oils I got my first Commission drawing cityscapes of the hague the train station what a building all that glass I wanted to show real-life nature the lives of farmers what I saw as I felt it that's what I wanted to paint something good something with soul in it and look there they are they're weather-beaten faces in the shadows sitting in the light of a small lamp poking their calloused hands into the dish of potatoes they themselves have sown and harvested others didn't think much of it woman's nose looks like dice at the end of a pipe stem hmm even Theo thought it was too dark but I had started I was an artist Theo I owe you so much when I came to Paris I lived with you when I wanted to paint you paid for my paints and brushes and me I was insufferable living only for my art late night discussions with innovative artists like Lautrec burn our gogo about contrasts colors loose brushstrokes but the work wasn't selling I rarely had money for models so I'd often end up looking in the mirror after two years I was fed up with the city I headed south to the light the colors that's where I painted the colors of the wheat of the night and the see which have many more colors than just blue green purple blue pink the sea changes color like a mackerel skin I looked around me and found beauty in almost everything even in these withering sunflowers I had big plans for this yellow house where I wanted to work with others to create a new kind of art but only my artist friend go gang came South we had the most fierce discussions about art what should you paint what you see with your eyes or what you see in your mind one evening things started to go wrong I just wasn't myself anymore I cut off my left ear I was sick I had myself admitted to hospital but I didn't stop I worked on like some kind of painting locomotive and slowly I got my life back on track in the countryside just north of Paris with Theo closeby I worked incessantly my head was on fire my paintbrush swept back and forth until [Music] now you know my story the story of a misunderstood stubborn man who wouldn't give up a story about needing to do what it is that you're good at so tell me what are you good at you