2007-06-13 07:26:36 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Visual Arts ➔ Painting
Yes I did know this but I don't think it matters. An artist doesn't create for recognition's sake. An artist creates for art's sake. An artist has no choice. Creation is like breathing.
Recognition is nice but if an artist lives for acknowledgment they often end up compromising their art for the sake of an audience's approval. This is true of writers, painters, performers, etc. This is why you see musicians who were once edgy shifting towards pop and why writers who start in one genre often have to create a pseudonym when they want to write something else. Pandering to an audience is not how to create art. It is, however, how you create what is popular.
I don't think that Van Gogh's selling only one painting is what makes his life a tragedy. What makes it tragic is his insanity.
2007-06-13 07:30:39 · answer #1 · answered by Satia 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
While it is true that Van Gogh actually only officially 'sold' one of his paintings in his lifetime this isn't the whole story.
He actually went through his short life as an artist thinking that he had sold nearly two dozen of them. Vincent's brother Theo was an art dealer and ran a well known art gallery. From time to time Theo would 'buy' one of Vincent's paintings, paying for it out of his own pocket, store it away and tell his brother that he had 'sold' it to a customer.
Why Theo did this is probably for several reasons, although we are still not sure. But most art historians feel Theo did this to encourage his brother to keep painting, to provide him with money to live off of and perhaps, just perhaps, because Theo was fond of the paintings he 'bought' and wanted to keep them for himself. It is also unclear as to whether or not Vincent ever found out what Theo was doing.
We do know for a fact that Theo had done this because after his death the co-called sold paintings (many to fictional patrons) were discovered at his home.
2007-06-13 08:45:12 · answer #2 · answered by Doc Watson 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, Vincent Van Gogh only sold one work while he was alive. Ironic, since his work is now worth millions.
2007-06-13 21:02:48 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the famous painters (or artists for that matter) were poor and struggle through their lifetime.
2007-06-13 07:30:26 · answer #4 · answered by Javier G 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Poor finacially but one of the richest painters that has ever lived. 'Mad' ? No - he just lived outside the norm as all geniuses do - if you didn't live in that unknown place you'd just produce 'normal' paintings.
2007-06-13 07:47:17 · answer #5 · answered by istaffa 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
it may of escaped your notice that most artist are aware of that fact, "red vineyard at arles" this paintings hangs in moscow
2007-06-13 07:43:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but Theo sure did OK.
2007-06-13 10:51:19 · answer #7 · answered by carl j 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
really o my gosh.
i thought he was like a brill artist.
remeber its whats on the indside that counts so *** long as he was happy in his life i supose it doesn't matter really
2007-06-13 07:32:19 · answer #8 · answered by schloe7 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I thought that he didn't sell anything whilst he was alive?
2007-06-13 07:36:21 · answer #9 · answered by Libby 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋