Willem Dafoe was 62 when the film was released, 25 years older than Vincent van Gogh, who died at age 37.
The main poster image is based on one of Vincent van Gogh's last self portraits, done after he sliced off a piece of his ear.
The way Theo van Gogh's name is pronounced in this movie is the accurate Dutch way to pronounce his name.
The Van Gogh paintings in progress in the movie are done by Willem Dafoe (playing Vincent), Julian Schnabel (the director and a painter himself) and Edith Baudrand (painter for the art department in this movie and an independent artist herself).
Willem Dafoe is the second actor to be nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards for playing Vincent van Gogh, after Kirk Douglas in Lust for Life (1956).