Did you know that Vincent Van Gogh painted our language school, Churchill House? To be perfectly correct, he didn't paint it - he sketched it . Also this was back in 1876 and our language school was not founded then. However, he did draw one of the buildings we use today.

Perhaps you are wondering why Van Gogh was in Ramsgate? Van Gogh became a painter very late in life. His first job was working for an art dealer's in the Hague. In 1873, at the age of twenty, he was transferred to their London branch. During this time he fell in love. Unfortunately, the girl rejected him and Van Gogh became extremely depressed.

He had problems at work and started to become obsessively religious. Then, in 1876, he left his job and travelled to Ramsgate. He took a teaching job in a small boarding school in the square where Churchill House is today. From the window of the school, he drew the view across the square and in it you can see our school's building.

Van Gogh left Ramsgate later that year and started painting full-time in 1880, at the age of twenty-seven. Eight years later he cut off his earlobe after an argument with his friend, the painter Paul Gauguin. He lost his reason after this and was put in a hospital for two years.

In 1890 Van Gogh appeared to have recovered. He painted some of his best work at this time and finally seemed to be happy. Then his brother, Theo, became ill. Theo had always helped Van Gogh financially but now he had money problems of his own. When Van Gogh saw how ill his brother was he was very shocked. He felt that he was a burden on his brother.

On 27 July Van Gogh went for a walk and shot himself in the chest. He managed to stagger home. Eventually, someone found him and called for Theo. Van Gogh spent his last remaining time sitting in bed and smoking a pipe, with Theo at his side. He died early in the morning on 29 July 1890.

At Van Gogh's funeral the coffin was covered with the sunflowers which he loved so much. Theo never recovered from the loss of his brother and died a month later.