12 Artists Who Tragically Took Their Own Lives

1. Vincent van Gogh (1890) → The legendary Dutch painter, known for Starry Night and Sunflowers, suffered from severe mental illness, including depression and psychotic episodes. He famously cut off part of his ear and was later admitted to an asylum. In July 1890, he shot himself in the chest in a wheat field but managed to walk back to his lodging, where he died two days later.
2. Mark Rothko (1970) → A pioneer of Abstract Expressionism, Rothko’s large, color-field paintings evoke deep emotion. As his health declined and depression worsened, he slit his wrists and overdosed on antidepressants in his New York studio. His final works, painted in black and gray, are often seen as a reflection of his despair.
3. Diane Arbus (1971) → The groundbreaking photographer, known for capturing marginalized communities, struggled with depression. She overdosed on barbiturates and slit her wrists, leaving behind a legacy of haunting, intimate portraits.
4. John William Godward (1922) → A Victorian Neoclassical painter, Godward’s work fell out of favor as modern art took over. Feeling rejected by the art world, he gassed himself in his studio, leaving a note that read, “The world is not big enough for myself and a Picasso.” His family, ashamed of his suicide, burned his papers – Find a Grave Memorial](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8054841/john_william-godward).
5. Kay Sage (1963) → A Surrealist painter, Sage created eerie, architectural landscapes that reflected isolation. After her husband, Yves Tanguy, died, she became reclusive and attempted suicide multiple times before shooting herself in the heart – Artists – Sullivan Goss Art Gallery](https://www.sullivangoss.com/artists/kay-sage-1898-1963).
6. Arshile Gorky (1948) → An Abstract Expressionist, Gorky endured immense personal tragedy, including the Armenian genocide, cancer, and a car accident that left him unable to paint. Overwhelmed by grief, he hanged himself in his Connecticut home.
7. Wolfgang Paalen (1959) → A Surrealist painter and theorist, Paalen fled Nazi-occupied Europe and settled in Mexico, where he explored indigenous art. Struggling with depression, he shot himself in Taxco, Mexico.
8. Mike Kelley (2012) → A contemporary artist, Kelley’s work explored themes of childhood trauma and dysfunction. He was found dead in his home, an apparent suicide following a period of depression](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/style/mike-kelley-death-john-waters-287052/) – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Kelley_%28artist%29).
9. Dora Carrington (1932) → A British painter associated with the Bloomsbury Group, Carrington was devastated by the death of her close friend Lytton Strachey. Unable to cope, she shot herself at their home – Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/carrington-dora-1893-1932).
10. Rembrandt Bugatti (1916) → A sculptor known for his lifelike animal bronzes, Bugatti volunteered at a military hospital during WWI, where he witnessed immense suffering. Depressed and financially struggling, he gassed himself in his Paris studio.
11. Alfred Henry Maurer (1932) → An American modernist, Maurer was one of the first U.S. artists to embrace Fauvism. His work was largely ignored, and after his father’s death, he hanged himself in his studio.
12. Nicolas de Staël (1955) → A French painter known for his thick impasto and abstract landscapes, de Staël suffered from depression and artistic frustration. He jumped from his studio terrace, ending his life at 41 – Life of a Russian Artist](https://totallyhistory.com/nicolas-de-stael/).

These artists left behind incredible legacies, but their struggles remind us of the importance of mental health awareness.