It is possible Van Gogh sold a painting whilst alive. There is rumour of the dealer Pere Tanguy selling one for a few francs in Paris. But whether he did or he didn’t, throughout his life Vincent survived solely on the monthly cheques from his brother Theo.
Initially, his ambition was to be a draughtsman. He had come to painting late, and his sister always thought he should be a baker. But as his talent flowered, his commercial opportunities withered. As the art dealer Tersteeg often told Vincent, he wasn’t doing what people wanted, which is unfortunate if you’re freelance.
After a fascinating stay in London, where he was first a school teacher and then an aspiring missionary, painting took over Vincent’s life, eventually taking him away from the cold winds of Holland to Paris, where he met the impressionist community. But it was only when he left there in some despair and travelled to Arles in the South of France that he truly came alive as a painter, living in the famous Yellow House. Here he found the sun; and here also the famous ear-cutting incident occurred, which took him for a while to a mental asylum.
He shot himself aged 37. In his life, he quoted Palissy with approval: ‘Poverty prevents good minds succeeding.’ We understand; but of course Van Gogh didn’t paint with his mind.
Simon Parke was a priest in the Church of England for 20 years and is now a freelance writer. His most recent books are The One-Minute Mystic, Shelf Life, and The Enneagram: A Private Session with the World’s Greatest Psychologist. He is also the author of The Beautiful Life. Simon runs, leads retreats, meets with people looking for a new way in their life, and follows the beautiful game.