Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh’s ten-year painting career yielded more than 2,000 paintings and drawings but little recognition from the art world. Lamenting this indifference, he wrote to his brother Theo, “One may have a blazing hearth in one’s soul, and yet no one ever comes to sit by it.” Van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) never did achieve the recognition he craved during his short, troubled lifetime. He sold few paintings but was known to have traded his artwork with other artists or for art supplies, food, and lodging. During periods of intense productivity, he painted at a feverish rate, sometimes a painting a day. His passionate and vividly colorful works eventually won over audiences and have helped make him one of the world’s most beloved artists.