“continence is quite good for me”: Van Gogh and his interest in urology and health

Vincent van Gogh was interested in health issues throughout his life, including those relating to his genital and urinary organs. He regularly discussed with his brother and other artists the need for continence in order to achieve great art: artists had to conserve their energy for their work and take good care of themselves. This was not an isolated idea, but was based on centuries-old ideas and medical knowledge of the time. Because of his experiences with gonorrhea, Van Gogh was extra cautious. He regularly visited doctors to get information and was interested in medical publications, such as Émile Jozan's Traité pratique des maladies des voies urinaires et des organes générateurs de l'homme and François-Vincent Raspail's Manuel annuaire de la santé . Since his death, some doctors have claimed that Van Gogh suffered from syphilis and that this would explain his mental problems at the end of his life. However, there is no evidence to support this. Vincent van Gogh; medical history; urology; gonorrhea; syphilis; treatment; creativity