I was watching the documentary and got to learn about: The Impressionists. A half a dozen of misfits going against odds and creating a new style of painting. Most of them were poor and; not part of the existing elite and, selling their artwork via Salon was not an option.
The Impressionists came up with a new kind of paint brush and colors. Freedom was utmost to their virtue, painting nature, farmhouse, orchids, ponds, or faces. The got it all in their paintings, going against the defined existing norms.
The Impressionists got acceptance from the local crowd, ordinary people. The Salon accepted them later. They were the misfits who lived their lives seeking freedom and creativity without worrying much about the status quo.
Van Gogh is not part of the Impressionists gang. But his liking for nature, his love of the countryside, and experiments with colors, he would fit in.