Before the 1911 theft of the “Mona Lisa” painting from the Louvre Museum in Paris, it was well-known and highly regarded, but it was not as famous as it is today. The painting was painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the early 16th century and was owned by King Francis I of France, who was a major patron of the arts. However, it was not until the theft and subsequent widespread media coverage that the painting became a global sensation and one of the most famous works of art in the world. The theft and subsequent investigation brought the painting to the forefront of public attention and helped to establish its iconic status.
Vincent van Gogh died poor. Despite having a passion for art, he struggled to make a living from his work during his lifetime. He could never sell a painting during his lifetime for a high price. In fact, he sold only a small number of paintings, and most of them were sold for relatively modest sums. The highest price that is known to have been paid for one of his paintings during his lifetime was 400 francs for “The Red Vineyard,” which was sold to Anna Boch, a Belgian painter and collector.
However after his death, the value of van Gogh’s paintings has increased significantly and now fetch hundreds of millions of dollars at auction. In 2017, his “Painting, Wheat Field with Cypresses” sold for a record-breaking $82.5 million at a Christie’s auction in New York.
One of the main reasons for later fame was the interest and support of his brother, Theo van Gogh, who was an art dealer. Theo promoted Vincent’s work after his death, and helped to organize exhibitions of his paintings. Additionally, the art community and critics eventually began to recognize the unique style and significant contributions of Vincent van Gogh to the post-impressionist movement. As a result, his paintings and drawings gained popularity and his reputation as an artist grew. Today, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time, and his works are some of the most valuable and highly sought after in the world.
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