Revelations about The Red Vineyard, just conserved at Moscow's
The story's true, but it has been fed by a legend that's not. According to popular lore, van Gogh sold only one painting in his entire life. This oft-repeated tale was challenged more than 30 years ago, but it still goes on. In fact, van Gogh sold at least two paintings in his lifetime, and some drawings as well.
A Self-Portrait Sold
"We have the honour to inform you that we have sent you the two pictures you have bought and duly paid for: a landscape by Camille Corot ... a self-portrait by V. van Gogh."
Despite only working for 10 years – from the age of 27 up until his early demise at 37 – van Gogh was incredibly prolific. He produced more than 900 paintings and many more drawings and sketches, which works out at nearly a new artworks every 36 hours.
1. Orchard with Cypresses (1888) The most expensive Van Gogh painting ever to go on sale, Orchard with Cypresses was painted in Arles in 1988. The late Paul Allen acquired the painting in 1998, and it remained in his collection for over 24 years.
The Starry Night painting has been highly esteemed for decades and its value has reached $100 million, following its $50 million sale in 1990. Many investors are attracted to his artwork for its financial value.
The Red Vineyard (1888), the only painting the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh sold during his lifetime.
Today, Van Gogh's works are among the world's most expensive paintings to have ever sold, and his legacy is honoured by a museum in his name, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which holds the world's largest collection of his paintings and drawings.
1. Despite Vincent van Gogh's fame today, he never achieved professional success during his lifetime. He sold only one painting while alive, seven months prior to his death, for a mere 400 francs. 2.
Known as the ultimate embodiment of the notion of the “poor artist”, Van Gogh was largely unable to sell his work during his lifetime. The letters between the artist and his brother Theo van Gogh tell of an eternal lack of money, and the difficulties this created when it came to practising his art.
Vincent van Gogh's work has been offered at auction multiple times, with realized prices ranging from 5 USD to 117,180,000 USD, depending on the size and medium of the artwork. Since 1990 the record price for this artist at auction is 117,180,000 USD for Verger avec cyprès, sold at Christie's New York in 2022.
“I dream my painting and I paint my dream”
This quote captures the essence of his approach to art. For Van Gogh, the painting was not just about creating a visual representation of something but rather about expressing the emotions and impressions that he experienced in his dreams and imagination.
Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime Red Vineyard at Arles. This painting now resides at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. The rest of Van Gogh's more than 900 paintings were not sold or made famous until after his death.
Many theories exist as to why van Gogh's works weren't appreciated while he was alive, namely that he was ahead of his time, unsociable, mentally troubled and uninterested in marketing himself – the story of many traditional artists. van Gogh himself said, “I can't change the fact that my paintings don't sell.
Portrait de l'Artiste Sans Barbe (Self portrait Without Beard) (1890): This self portrait was probably the last the artist ever painted. He gifted it to his mother for her birthday a few months before his suicide in 1890. Van Gogh's portrait was sold in 1998 for $71.5 million in a Christie's auction in New York.
Vincent van Gogh died with no money because he was not a well-known artist at the time of his death. His brother, Theo, provided him with financial support for many years.
Up until his death in 1891, control of the collection was in the hands of Vincent's brother, Theo van Gogh. His widow, Jo van Gogh-Bonger, subsequently took over management of the collection. Following her death in 1925, her son, Vincent Willem van Gogh ('the Engineer'), assumed responsibility for his uncle's works.
In January 1891, six months after van Gogh's death, his brother Theo, who'd contracted syphilis, died at age 34 in the Netherlands. Theo's widow, Jo van Gogh-Bonger, inherited a large collection of Vincent's paintings, drawings and letters.
Provenance. The first version never left the artist's estate. Since 1962, it has been in the possession of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, established by Vincent Willem van Gogh, the artist's nephew, and on permanent loan to the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
The most expensive paintings in the world
While some works of art are priceless, others have been sold with an astronomical price tag. The most expensive painting ever sold is the Salvator Mundi, the Saviour of the World in English, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.
Detail of: Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889. Van Gogh's rolling night sky full of bright stars is probably one of the world's most famous artworks. The Starry Night's home is at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The Mona Lisa is priceless. Any speculative price (some say over a billion dollars!) would probably be so high that not one person would be able or willing to purchase and maintain the painting. Moreover, the Louvre Museum would probably never sell it.
You can own a museum-quality handmade art reproduction of "The Starry Night" by artist Vincent van Gogh in 1889. The oil painting will be reproduced on artist-level linen canvas by an expert painter. You can select from multiple sizing options and top quality frames.
It was acquired by King Francis I of France and is now the property of the French Republic. It has been on permanent display at the Louvre in Paris since 1797.