The Idea That Van Gogh Was a Failed Artist Is a Myth
Reasons why he was on the brink of success
It is undoubtedly true to say that Van Gogh’s life was a troubled one. It ended in the artist’s suicide in 1890 when he was just 37 years old.
We have come to understand Van Gogh’s painting career as one riven with struggles and setbacks. As such, his life has become the archetypal story of the artist who became successful only after his death.
Yet this tale of failure in his lifetime has been overstated. Not only was Van Gogh’s painting career enormously productive, but by the time of his death he had begun to attract the attention of the wider art world and was arguably on the verge of a major breakthrough in his career.
How Paintings Did He Actually Sell?
It is widely thought that Van Gogh only sold a single painting during his life. The painting in question is The Red Vineyard, which he made in 1888.
The Red Vineyard was exhibited for the first time in 1890 in Brussels, seven months before the artist’s death, where it sold for the healthy sum of 400 Belgian francs.
