Who is Vincent van Gogh from Without Feathers and what is their importance?

Based on the real-life impressionistic painter of the same name, the Vincent van Gogh in Allen's short story is a mediocre dentist with the vocation-inappropriate sensibilities of an artist. He values the aesthetic over the practical and treats dentistry itself not as a craft or service profession but as an outlet for self-expression. The story is a collection of Vincent's letters, and so he serves as the narrator, depicting the trials and tribulations of an artist trapped in the life of a dentist, where no one appreciates his great and creative work. The complaints of the dentist are nearly identical to those of the artist.