Elena Rossi
Despite Vincent van Gogh's works now being among the world's most expensive paintings ever sold, it is believed that the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter only sold one painting in his lifetime. This was The Red Vineyard, which was bought by Anna Boch, a Belgian artist and art collector, in early 1890 for 400 Belgian francs. However, there is some debate around this, with some sources suggesting that other paintings may have been sold or bartered in addition to The Red Vineyard.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of paintings sold during his lifetime | It is believed to be only one painting, though some sources suggest otherwise |
| Name of the painting | The Red Vineyard (or The Vigne Rouge) |
| Buyer | Anna Boch, a Belgian artist and art collector |
| Sale price | 400 francs (then £16) |
| Year of sale | 1890 |
| Current location | Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow |
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What You'll Learn
Van Gogh's only confirmed sale: 'The Red Vineyard'
It is believed that Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime: *The Red Vineyard*. The painting was bought by Anna Boch, a Belgian artist and art collector, in early 1890 for 400 Belgian francs (then £16). Boch was the sister of Vincent's friend Eugène Boch, who was also a painter and a friend of van Gogh's.
The painting depicts a vineyard scene that van Gogh came across while on a late afternoon walk with fellow artist Paul Gauguin in October 1888. Gauguin was encouraging van Gogh to make his pictures more creative and less literal, and the two artists likely discussed this scene on their walk. Van Gogh's use of colour in the painting is notable for its dramatic effect. The vines are much redder than one would expect, with van Gogh describing the colour as resembling that of the plant Virginia Creeper. The composition also includes a wet road glistening after recent rain, a huge setting sun, and the distant ruins of the abbey of Montmajour in light blue.
Van Gogh completed the painting in his studio, relying on his imagination rather than working from life. He made changes to the composition over time, including altering a figure in the upper right from a woman in a skirt, white blouse, and hat to a man standing in the road. He also added a woman bending over a basket in the central foreground later.
The Red Vineyard has an interesting history beyond its sale to Boch. In April 1889, van Gogh sent the painting to his brother Theo in Paris. Theo then sent the painting to Brussels for an exhibition organised by the group Les Vingt in January 1890, where it was purchased by Boch. Boch kept the painting until 1906, when she sold it for 10,000 francs. In 1907, it was acquired by the Moscow collector and textile factory owner Ivan Morozov for 30,000 francs, reflecting van Gogh's growing fame. Today, the painting is located at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, Russia.
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Sold by his brother, Theo: a self-portrait
Vincent van Gogh's painting "The Red Vineyard" is the only painting known to have been sold by the artist in his lifetime. It was bought by Anna Boch at a Brussels exhibition in March 1890 for 400 francs (then £16).
Van Gogh's brother, Theo van Gogh, was a Dutch art dealer who played a crucial role in introducing contemporary French art to the public. Theo supported Vincent's artistic ambitions and well-being, allowing him to devote himself entirely to painting. He gave Vincent money, advice, and guidance, helping him pursue a career in art. Theo also helped Vincent collect Japanese woodcuts, which inspired the development of Vincent's distinctive style.
Theo successfully sold one of Vincent's works to a gallery in London, although the specific painting is not known. The brothers shared a two-year period living together in Montmartre, Paris, which is the least documented period of Vincent's artistic career due to the lack of surviving letters.
One painting that may have been sold by Theo is a self-portrait by Vincent, now housed in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The small, detailed portrait was long thought to be a self-portrait of Vincent, but some believe it may depict his brother Theo, as the brothers bore a striking resemblance to one another. The painting is titled "Self-Portrait or Portrait of Theo van Gogh", reflecting the uncertainty about its subject.
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Sold to a London gallery: unknown painting
While Vincent van Gogh is known to have sold at least one painting in his lifetime, there is some debate about whether he sold more. The Red Vineyard is the only painting sold during van Gogh's lifetime whose name is officially recorded and acknowledged by the art world. It was sold at a Brussels exhibition in March 1890, four months before his death. The painting was bought by Anna Boch, a Belgian artist and art collector, for 400 Belgian francs (then £16).
However, some sources suggest that other paintings may have been sold in addition to The Red Vineyard. Van Gogh scholar Marc Edo Tralbaut deduced that Vincent's brother, Theo, sold a self-portrait by Vincent to London art dealers, Sulley and Lori, in 1888. This theory has been challenged by others who have pointed out anomalies in the dating of the letter from Theo to the art dealers.
Furthermore, van Gogh's first commission came from his uncle Cor, an art dealer who ordered 19 cityscapes of The Hague. Van Gogh also traded work with other artists, especially in his younger years, often in exchange for food or art supplies.
While the exact number of paintings sold by van Gogh during his lifetime remains uncertain, it is clear that his work gained widespread critical and commercial success in the decades following his death. Today, his paintings are among the world's most expensive artworks ever sold.
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Sold to Anna Boch: 'Peach Trees in Blossom'
During his lifetime, Vincent van Gogh is believed to have sold only one painting, *The Red Vineyard*, which was bought by Anna Boch. However, Anna Boch also purchased another of Van Gogh's paintings, *Peach Trees in Blossom*, after his death.
Painted in April 1889, *Peach Trees in Blossom* depicts a field with peach trees on the outskirts of Arles, with the Alpilles mountains in the background. Van Gogh was inspired to create the painting by his love of Japanese landscape prints, and it was intended as a homage to this style. The painting was created during a mentally unstable period in which Van Gogh was a patient at the men's hospital in Arles, just weeks after he had severed his ear.
Van Gogh first mentioned working on the painting in a letter to his brother, Theo, in early April 1889, stating:
> Just now I have on the easel an orchard of peach trees beside a road with the Alpilles in the background.
A week later, he wrote to his artist friend Paul Signac, enclosing a sketch of the painting and describing it as:
> Green countryside with little cottages, blue line of the Alpilles, white and blue sky. The foreground, enclosures with reed hedges where little peach trees are in blossom—everything there is small, the gardens, the fields, the gardens, the trees, even those mountains, as in certain Japanese landscapes, that’s why this subject attracted me.
In June 1891, Anna Boch, who had previously acquired *The Red Vineyard*, added to her collection by buying *Peach Trees in Blossom* for 350 francs (then £14). This was equivalent to £1,931 in 2023. The painting was next acquired in 1927 by Samuel Courtauld, who paid £9,000 for it.
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Sold to Mirbeau: 'Three Sunflowers' and 'Irises'
While it is believed that Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime, "The Red Vineyard", there is evidence that he did sell more than a couple of paintings. Van Gogh's first commission was from his uncle Cor, who was an art dealer. Cor ordered 19 cityscapes of The Hague. Van Gogh also traded work with other artists, often in exchange for food or art supplies.
One of the most notable sales of Van Gogh's paintings took place after his death. In 1892, Octave Mirbeau, an avant-garde critic, bought "Three Sunflowers" and "Irises" for 600 francs (then £24). Mirbeau was a lover of flowers and paintings, and his purchase of these two Van Gogh masterpieces is a testament to his refined taste. "Three Sunflowers" and "Irises" hung in Mirbeau's dining room, alongside other notable works of art.
"Three Sunflowers" and "Irises" were not just aesthetic choices for Mirbeau, they held a special significance. "Irises" was the first picture that Van Gogh painted after his arrival at the asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. It is an amazingly optimistic picture, produced under challenging circumstances. When Claude Monet, a friend of Mirbeau, visited him and saw the two paintings, he exclaimed: "How could a man who has loved flowers and light so much and has rendered them so well, how could he have managed to be so unhappy?".
The purchase of "Three Sunflowers" and "Irises" by Mirbeau is a testament to his appreciation for Van Gogh's artistic genius. Over time, the value of these paintings has increased significantly, with "Three Sunflowers" reaching 50,000 francs in 1912, a substantial increase from the 300 francs paid by Mirbeau. Today, Van Gogh is one of the world's best-selling artists, with his paintings fetching millions at auctions.
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Frequently asked questions
It is believed that Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime. However, there is evidence that suggests he sold or bartered a number of paintings.
The Red Vineyard is the only painting sold during van Gogh's lifetime whose name we know and that was "officially" recorded and acknowledged by the art world. Anna Boch, a Belgian artist and art collector, bought the painting in early 1890 for 400 Belgian francs.
The Red Vineyard was sold for 400 francs (then £16) at a Brussels exhibition in March 1890.
Anna Boch, a Belgian artist and art collector, bought The Red Vineyard in early 1890. She was the sister of Vincent's friend Eugène Boch.
Anna Boch sold The Red Vineyard in 1906 for 10,000 francs. It was then acquired by the avant-garde Moscow collector and textile factory owner Ivan Morozov in 1907.
