Van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh was one of the world's most famous and prolific 19th century painters, yet, only sold one painting in his lifetime, The Red Vineyard, (1888) for 400 Francs. The painting, which sold in Brussels just a few months before van Gogh's death at the age of 37, was to provide the artist with a legacy that would see him become a global inspiration for the future of art. Through sheer commitment, and determination, Van Gogh created an artistic phenomenon that would capture the hearts of millions of art lovers for many generations to come. Van Gogh began working in November 1881 at the age of 28, believing that to become a great artist he needed to master the art of drawing before adding color. He drew and practiced drawing for a year before he evolved as an artist, and over the course of 10 years, he created more than 2,000 works of art including his most popular paintings; Sunflowers, Poppies, The Potato Eaters, Starry Night, Irises, The Bedroom, The Mulberry Tree and Blossoming Almond Tree. Bold color would become synonymous with the paintings of Van Gogh in later works and the painter predicted that the great painter of the future "would know how to use color" and produce works of art like no other. Interestingly, it appears that van Gogh did not think he would be the great influential artist of the future, rather, someone who would encourage and do all he could to ensure that this "painter of the future" would prevail. However, Theo van Gogh was convinced of his brother's legacy as a great painter and believed that his older sibling would one day be rightly acknowledged for his talents. Theo's beliefs were to be proven beyond doubt.