Van Gogh's Solace: The Red Vineyard

what van gogh painting sold while he was alive

It is widely believed that Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime: The Red Vineyard. However, there is some debate around this, as the artist traded works with other painters and his uncle, an art dealer, commissioned some paintings. The Red Vineyard was sold to Belgian painter Anna Boch, a friend of Van Gogh's, and later made its way to a Paris art gallery, where it was purchased by Russian collector Ivan Morozov. The painting now resides in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.

Characteristics Values
Name of Painting The Red Vineyard at Arles (The Vigne Rouge) or The Red Vineyards Near Arles
Buyer Anna Boch
Year of Purchase 1890
Amount Paid 350 or 400 francs (then £16)
Current Location Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow
Year Sold by Anna Boch 1906
Buyer from Anna Boch Russian textile businessman, Sergei Shchukin
Amount Paid 10,000 francs
Year Acquired by Ivan Morosov 1918
Amount Paid by Ivan Morosov 30,000 francs

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The Red Vineyard was Van Gogh's only widely known sale

It is widely believed that Vincent Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime: The Red Vineyard. This belief has been challenged, but it persists because The Red Vineyard is the only painting officially" recorded and acknowledged by the art world as having been sold by Van Gogh.

The Red Vineyard was painted in November 1888 and exhibited in 1890 at an annual exhibition staged by the Belgian artist group Les XX (The 20). Belgian painter Anna Boch, a member of the group, bought the canvas for 350 or 400 francs (£16). Artist Eugène Boch, whom Van Gogh painted that same year, was Anna’s brother. In a letter to his brother and art dealer, Theo, Van Gogh said that Boch had paid the sticker price when she should have gotten a “friend’s price”.

The painting later made its way to a Paris art gallery, where Russian collector Ivan Morozov purchased it. It was nationalized during the Bolshevik Revolution and transferred to its current owner, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, in 1948.

Van Gogh's work only gained critical attention after his death, and he is now celebrated as one of the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. His paintings are among the world's most expensive ever sold.

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Anna Boch bought The Red Vineyard

Vincent van Gogh is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of them in the last two years of his life. However, during his lifetime, only one of Van Gogh's paintings, "The Red Vineyard", was sold.

"The Red Vineyard" was acquired by Belgian painter Anna Boch in 1890. Boch was a member of the Belgian artist group Les XX (The 20), who had invited Van Gogh to participate in a group show in Brussels in 1889. The painting made its debut appearance at an annual exhibition staged by Les XX, and Boch bought the canvas for 350 or 400 francs (then £16). In a letter to his art dealer brother Theo, Van Gogh said that Boch paid the sticker price when she should have gotten a "friend's price".

Anna Boch's brother, Eugène Boch, was also a painter and a friend of Van Gogh's. Van Gogh painted Eugène's portrait, which he called "The Poet", in 1888. Anna Boch owned two paintings by Van Gogh, and her brother owned several.

"The Red Vineyard" depicts a landscape near Montmajour Abbey during the grape harvest. The evening sun turns much of the landscape a fiery red as workers labour in the fields. Van Gogh painted the scene from memory in his studio, using his imagination. He had been inspired by a walk with Paul Gauguin, who was living with him in Arles at the time. Gauguin was encouraging him to make his pictures more creative and less literal.

After Anna Boch, "The Red Vineyard" was sold to Moscow collector and textile factory owner Ivan Morozov. The asking price had risen to 30,000 francs, an indication of Van Gogh's rapid rise to fame. Morozov's collection was nationalised during the Bolshevik Revolution, and "The Red Vineyard" was transferred to the Pushkin Museum in Moscow in 1948, where it remains today.

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The Red Vineyard was sold again in 1906

During his lifetime, Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting, "The Red Vineyard", also known as "The Vigne Rouge", "The Red Vineyards at Arles", and "The Red Vineyards Near Arles". Painted in 1888, it depicts a vineyard near Montmajour Abbey during the grape harvest. The painting is characterised by the autumnal reds and yellows of the vineyard, as well as the early evening sun reflecting on the river.

The Red Vineyard was first sold to Belgian painter Anna Boch in 1890 for 350 or 400 francs. It was later purchased by Russian collector Ivan Morozov and eventually nationalised during the Bolshevik Revolution. The painting is currently located at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow.

In 1906, The Red Vineyard was sold again, but the identity of the buyer and the sale price are not known. While some sources claim that The Red Vineyard was the only painting sold by van Gogh during his lifetime, others suggest that there may have been other sales, including a self-portrait sold by van Gogh's brother, Theo, to art dealers in London. However, the details of these other potential sales are not well-documented or widely known.

The Red Vineyard is a significant piece in the history of art, not only for its artistic merit but also for its place in the narrative of van Gogh's struggle for recognition during his lifetime. The sale of this painting to Anna Boch, who bought it to support the artist, is a testament to van Gogh's perseverance and the eventual appreciation of his work.

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The Red Vineyard is now in Moscow

During Vincent van Gogh's lifetime, only one of his paintings, "The Red Vineyard", was sold. "The Red Vineyard", also known as "Red Vineyard at Arles, Montmajour", was painted in November 1888 in Arles, France. The painting depicts workers harvesting grapes under a golden sky, with their silhouettes reflected in the rich red and ochre tones of the vines. The winding canal reflects the sunlight, and the horizon glows with the soft orange and yellow hues of the setting sun.

The painting was sold in March 1890, four months before van Gogh's death, at a Brussels exhibition for 400 francs (then £16). The buyer was Belgian painter Anna Boch, a member of the Belgian artist group Les XX (The 20). Artist Eugène Boch, whom van Gogh painted that same year, was Anna's brother. In a letter to his art dealer brother Theo, van Gogh remarked that Anna Boch had paid the sticker price when she should have received a "friend's price".

The painting later made its way to a Paris art gallery, where it was purchased by Russian collector Ivan Morozov. During the Bolshevik Revolution, the painting was nationalized and went to its current owner, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, Russia. The painting has remained in Moscow and has not been loaned out in over 60 years. It was recently conserved to ensure its long-term preservation.

Today, "The Red Vineyard" is considered one of van Gogh's most dramatically coloured Provençal landscapes. Art experts estimate that if the painting were ever sold, it could be worth over $250 million. However, it is not for sale, and its value extends beyond monetary worth, as it is the only painting that connects directly to van Gogh's lifetime.

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Van Gogh sold more than one painting

While the popular belief is that Vincent Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime, there is evidence to suggest that Van Gogh sold more than one painting. The Red Vineyard, now located at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, is the only widely known sale. Belgian painter Anna Boch bought the painting to support Van Gogh, and it is among the artist's most dramatically coloured Provencal landscapes.

However, Van Gogh also traded paintings for food, and his family collected his art as investments for the future. There is evidence for one other work that sold before his death, but its identity and whereabouts are unknown. Leading Van Gogh scholar, Marc Edo Tralbaut, has challenged the myth of The Red Vineyard being the only painting sold by Van Gogh during his lifetime. Van Gogh is also known to have traded works with other artists, and his art dealer uncle commissioned some paintings.

Anna Boch's brother, Eugène Boch, was also a painter and owned several of Van Gogh's paintings. Van Gogh painted his portrait, which he called The Poet, in the same year as The Red Vineyard. Anna Boch owned two paintings by Van Gogh, including The Red Vineyard, which she sold in 1906 for 10,000 francs. The painting was then sold again that same year to a Russian textile businessman, Sergei Shchukin, and was later nationalized during the Bolshevik Revolution. It was given to the Pushkin Museum by the State of Russia in 1948.

Frequently asked questions

It is widely believed that Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime, "The Red Vineyard", which was sold to Anna Boch. However, there is evidence of one other work that sold before his death, but its identity and whereabouts are unknown.

Anna Boch, a Belgian painter and member of the Les XX (The 20) artist group, bought "The Red Vineyard" for 350 or 400 francs.

Van Gogh sold "The Red Vineyard" in 1890, four months before his death.

The painting was first sold at an annual exhibition staged by the Belgian artist group Les XX. It later made its way to a Paris art gallery, where it was purchased by Russian collector Ivan Morozov.

After being sold to Ivan Morozov, "The Red Vineyard" was nationalized during the Bolshevik Revolution and transferred to its current owner, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, Russia.

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