Van Gogh's Final Masterpieces: A Late-Night Art Extravaganza

Spending the night at an art gallery, watching the clock tick from Friday to Saturday, all for a chance to see some of Vincent van Gogh's last paintings. That's exactly what thousands of people did at the National Gallery in London recently. They came to bid farewell to the exhibition "Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers, " which stayed open all night to meet the huge demand. Digenis Koumas, one of the visitors, explained why he was there. "There's something intriguing about Van Gogh, " he said. "His life was like a puzzle— struggles, battles with his mind. It's fascinating. "The exhibition featured 61 paintings created in the last two years of Van Gogh's life before he died by suicide at age 37. The late-night event was a hit, attracting nearly 20, 000 visitors over the final weekend. In fact, the museum reported that the show was the most popular ticketed event in its history, with almost 335, 000 visits in total. The art lover's journey didn't come easy. Many had to disrupt their sleep schedules and navigate London's inconsistent nighttime public transport. But for a chance to see these masterpieces one last time, it was worth it.