In Europe there were born a lot of very famous people that gained fame by doing things like painting, composing, going in for sports or ruling. The problem of being famous today is that there are a lot of media coverages about people who are in the spotlight. So it is very difficult for known persons to appear in public. If they go shopping, a lot of passer-bys appeal to them for getting autographs or talk to them about their last role e.g. In the length of time this can be very stressful. But there are not only celebrities that are still alive. Also there are a lot of famous women and men, which are already dead for many years. Although they don't live any more, it is still spoken much about them.
In the Netherlands e.g. Vincent van Gogh was a painter, who lived from 1853 until 1890. Today, more than hundred years after his death his paintings are more valuable than ever. During his life van Gogh didn't earn a lot of money by selling his works of art. Vincent van Gogh had a very intensive relationship to his brother Theo, who gave him money, when he needed it. Also the two wrote many letters to inform each other how they were doing. The painter was not very happy with his life. He was a very depressed man, who cut off a part of one of his ears in a state of depression. Van Gogh, who painted a lot of still lifes and self-portraits, died two days after he shot himself in his chest. Famous pictures of the painter are e.g. 'The Potato Eaters' and 'The Starry Night'.
There are some very known musicians that were born in Germany. One of them is called Ludwig van Beethoven, whose birthplace can be visited in Bonn. Many people search for the address of the house where he was born on the internet and use their printed plans and maps to arrive at that favoured building. Beethoven lived from December 1770 until his death in the year 1827. Although he became totally deaf, he continued composing and performing his works. Beethoven wrote a lot of violin and piano sonatas. Famous compositions of him are e.g. the bagatelle in A minor, WoO 59, also known as 'Für Elise', or the Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, called the 'Fifth Symphony'. The very virtuosic pianist studied with Joseph Haydn, who became a famous Austrian composer.
Besides Joseph Haydn there are also other persons from Austria, who are noted for the musical works. The most famous Austrian composer is certainly Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was born 1756 in Salzburg and began to play and compose music, when he was still very young. Joseph Haydn, who was not only known by Ludwig van Beethoven but also by Amadeus Mozart, wrote about him that he was a very talented artist. For categorizing all the works from Mozart, Ludwig von Köchel created a index after the composer's death. So in this Köchel catalogue you find sonatas, symphonies and operas like the Magic Flute that is called 'Die Zauberflöte' in German. Mozart died at the age of 35 in an ill condition.
There are not only musicians and composers, who became famous, but also others as the Frenchman Charles Montesquieu. He was an author and a political philosopher, who broached the issue of the separation of powers into a executive, a legislature, and a judiciary. Another important man in the history of France was Louis XIV, who is known as 'The Sun King'. He was born in the year 1638 and died in 1715. Besides politicians there were also other famous people, who were born in France. Musicians, performers and painters saw the light of day there and lived in this European country.
Finally there are some really well-known personalities, who lived in Spain. Monarchs in the Kingdom of Spain were e.g. Philipp III, Charles II and Ferdinand VII. Furthermore Pablo Picasso, a famous artist, was born in Malaga in October 1881. In this city and at other places he painted, drawed and created ceramics as well as sculptures. A style of painting that was used by Picasso is called Cubism, where the paintings were more abstract than in other genres. Picasso died in the year 1973, but his works make him immortal.
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