12 Famous Paintings with The Stories Behind Them

11. Self Portrait Without Beard by Vincent van Gogh

Up next in our list of famous paintings with the stories behind them is this painting by Van Gogh that is just a single self-portrait among the 43 others he painted of himself merely between 1886 and 1889. It was one of the last paintings he produced and was a gift to his mother; his little way of showing her he was alright. However, he committed suicide only a few months later. Fortunately, the portrait shows his left side; hence his mutilated ear is not visible, which he had cut off in an episode of extreme rage.