And yet he is considered one of the greatest artists in history today.
2006-07-25 04:06:36 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Other - Arts & Humanities
Because it was different!
Practically every artist who painted abstract was looked at as weird and unusual just because people weren't used to different. They didn't take the time to look at the beauty of it and the inner-most part of the painting. They only took the time to say, "that guy's weird, plus his paintings are weird, therefore, we're not gonna give a crap."
Sadly, that's how it goes for artists with vision and new and different techniques. It's not appreciated 'til their gone. Then everyone sees the beauty and emotion that went into the work.
People don't appreciate the greater things in life until it's too late sometimes.
2006-07-25 04:14:21 · answer #1 · answered by docsgirl24 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Van Gogh was not completely ignored during his lifetime. Paul Gaughin, though he quarrled with Van Gogh, recognized that he was a very insightful and honest artist and was achieving important advances in expressionist painting. Also Vincent's brother, Theo, who was an art dealer in Paris, recognized his brother's achievement (but also recognized that the art world as well as the public were not ready to grasp the rather extreme esthetic advances). Also, a Doctor Gachet, a collector and amateur artist understood Van Gogh's achievements. But most people didn't grasp Van Gogh's work at all, for the reason that they never understand new things in art when they first appear. New things are too far from what the public is used to as art. Van Gogh concentrated on the essentials, not the niceties. His drawing looked crude. Also he used color in a way seldom seen before, often bright, flat color right out of the tube. Other artists saw what he was getting at and gradually adopted his advances, until now they are familiar to everybody.
2006-07-25 12:56:55 · answer #2 · answered by haroldpohl2000 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot of artists are recognized after they die.. Van Gogh lived a confusing life. He cut his ears because he couldnt explain it in any other way.. and most of the art work I guess.. and when someone dies, more people tend to talk about them.. so I guess he became famous for his stories after his death
2006-07-25 04:13:24 · answer #3 · answered by Humpty Dumpty 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well to begin with his style was so completely different to what was fashionable and acceptable in his day. Like all the Impressionists, his work was considered strange, sloppy, bad painting or even the working of a deranged mind. And of course he was epileptic, which in those days was considered a form of insanity. He came from a very rigid social background, surrounded by people who didn't take his "dabbling" seriously...so obviously he didn't have a good agent or distribution either.
2006-07-25 04:12:43 · answer #4 · answered by anna 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think intellectually, he was way ahead of his generation. Maybe the people in the late 1800's never really understand the significance of Post-Impressionism.
Take Da Vinci for example: He designed most of the modern technology that we are using today, including helicopter, tank, submarine and even scissors.
Don't you think the people living at that period thought he was an imbecile?
I think the people just did not understand what he was all about.
And the fact that he became mentally ill really did not help to the situation.
2006-07-25 04:18:01 · answer #5 · answered by Raymond OConnor 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe it had something to do with his persistant mental problems.
All great artists are recognized after their death either way.
2006-07-25 04:10:22 · answer #6 · answered by Ina 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How sad. Maybe he was afraid to share it. Maybe no one back then enjoyed his kind of art.
2006-07-25 04:12:20 · answer #7 · answered by cathyhewed1946 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋