The figure of the tormented artist stands out with Romanticism (some of that I wrote in the posts I dedicated to him in this blog); but, obviously, it already existed. Romanticism drives it by emphasizing the rebellion of individuality. That romantic vision, in the strict sense of the word, expands throughout modernity.
Goethe, in speaking of genius, was already recognizing that special condition of the artist in the world in which he lived. Later, the conception of "normality" will be questioned by Freudian and Jungian psychology, and other thinkers such as Foucault.
VanGogh's life will be marked by his genius and conflicts. Very expressive and beautiful are the letters to his brother, collected in the book Letters to Theo. A quote: "I don't know a better definition of the word art than this one: 'Art is man added to nature'; nature, reality, truth, but with a meaning, with a conception, with a character, that the artist makes stand out, and to which he gives expression, 'that redeems', that unravels, liberates, illuminates".
Thanks for your post, @honeydue. I think it will be an interesting series. Greetings.