Vincent van Gogh is regarded as one of the most influential post-impressionist painter in 20th century, for its vivid colors and emotional impact. Being the famous artist in today’s museum art, how many of his oil painting artwork has successfully sold during his lifetime? Perhaps, the one and only oil paintings done in early November 1888, “The Red Vineyard”. Sold for 400 Franc (equal to about $1000-1050 today).
Similar to “The Night Cafe”, by the outbreak of World War I (1914–18), this work owned by Sergei Shchukin were nationalized by Bolsheviks, and now exhibiting in art museum.
As of today, at least 8 of his most expensive work has been sold since last 3 decades, either in auction or private sales. Below showcasing 8 most expensive oil paintings paid, plus 2 more potentially priced paintings. (Inflation adjusted)
1) Portrait of Dr. Gachet (June 1890) – US$138.4 million (Was $82.5 mil)
Vincent van Gogh painted this piece of his work during the last weeks of his life before his suicide. There are two versions of the portrait. Both painted in the same year.
One of the version was sold in May 1990, through an auction at Christie’s, New York, put up by the Siegfried Kramarsky family. The buyer was a Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito.
Since Ryoei Saito’s death in 1996 Reports in 2007 have claimed the painting was sold a decade earlier to the Austrian-born investment fund manager, in turn, had reportedly been forced by financial reversals to sell the painting to parties as yet unknown.
The second version of the portrait is currently in the possession of the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France.
Portrait of Dr. Gachet 1890, Van Gogh
2) Irises 1889 – US$101.2 million (Was $53.9 mil)
Van Gogh’s passion of painting flowers, has made this highly priced irises paintings sold at US$101.2 million. This brilliant artwork was painted while Vincent van Gogh was living at the asylum at Saint Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France in the last year before his death in 1890.
In 1987, put up in an auction (Sotheby’s, New York ). Sold by the son of Joan Whitney Payson to an Australian businessman, Alan Bond. Interestingly, buyer did not have enough money to pay for the bidden price. Eventually, the pieces was re-sold to J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles in 1990.
It is noticeably that the painting style used wasn’t as hash as the famous Starry Night. Back then, before inflicted by mental derangement, Van Gogh felt that he could keep himself from going insane by continuing to paint.
Irises, 1889, Van Gogh
3) Portrait of Joseph Roulin 1889 – US$$100.9 ++ million (Was $58 mil plus exchange of works)
Sold by in a private sales via a Swiss art dealer and collector, Thomas Ammann, to the Museum of Modern Art new York.
Joseph Roulin was described as the typical bread-winner in the household, during the period of working class in 19th century France. Working as a postman toiling for money to make ends meet. A father of three children, and a husband of a housewife, who care for home and children.
Van Gogh did different versions of this portrait. In fact, he told his brother Theo in a letter: “I have made portraits of a whole family, that of the postman whose head I had done previously – the man, his wife, the baby, the young boy, and the son of sixteen, all of them real characters and very French, though they look like Russians. ”
Portrait of Joseph Roulin 1889, Van Gogh
4) Portrait de l’artiste sans barbe 1889 – U$94.5 million (Was $71.5 mil)
Sold by the family of Jacques Koerfer, in late 1998, at an auction held in Christie’s, New York. Buyer remain anonymous till these days.
A self-portrait of artist without a beard. Leading fourth in the list of most expensive paintings. Among many with bearded portrait, this work is exceptionally unique and rare; clean-shaven, crispy-looking, hair gel and back-combing, self-portrait of Vincent van Gogh.
Van Gogh, Self-Portrait, without Beard
5) Self-portrait with bandaged ear 1889 – US$90 million (Was 71.5 mil)
This paintings sold in late 1998, at an auction in Chrisie’s, New York. Buyer remain suspected to be anonymous. Recently, reported by Forbes.com on 10th March, Phlip Niarchos “Eldest son of late Greek shipping magnate, Stavros Niarchos, inherited father’s art collection of such masterpieces as Vincent van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait with a Bandaged Ear””
Again, another unique piece of Van Gogh’s paintings, with bandaged ear. Do you know that he actually presented his lower chopped-off part of his ear to a prostitute at his favorite brothel?
Van Gogh, Self-portrait with bandaged ear
6) A Wheatfield with Cypresses 1889 – U$85.7 million (Was $57 mil)
Sold by son of Emil Georg Bührle in a private sale via Steven Mazoh. Buyer was Walter Annenberg, a Jewish-born American publisher, diplomat, and a philanthropist.
Van Gogh painted this while he spend his life in a mental asylum at St. Remy in May 1889. In his written letter to Theo, “...the wheat field in the sun, which represents the extreme heat... “, describing one of his best sun-drenched landscape in summer canvases.
There are 2 variants of this paintings, the other owned by National Gallery, London.
Wheatfield with Cypresses, Van Gogh
7) Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers 1888 – U$76.7 million (Was $39.7 mil)
Yet another related paintings on flowers. Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings was auctioned in 1987, an event held at Christie’s London organized by the daughter in law of Chester Beatty. Buyer was described as a Japanese insurance magnate, by the name of Yasuo Goto. Little was known about the intention of this purchased. Neither was a self-interest in a private sales, nor buying it on the behalf of the company. The painting currently resides at Seiji Togo Yasuda Memorial Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. After the purchase a controversy arose whether this is a genuine van Gogh or an Emile Schuffenecker forgery.
Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers, Van Gogh
8.) Peasant Woman Against a Background of Wheat 1890 – U$64.1 million (Was $47.5 mil)
Sold to Stephen Wynn, an American casino resort/real-estate developer. An unknown seller held a private sale via Acquavella Galleries Inc., New York.
Stephen Wynn has owned an extensive art collection, including Paul Gauguin and Pablo Picasso.
Peasant Woman Against a Background of Wheat, Van Gogh
Last but not least, below are my 2 guesses on the Van Gogh’s painting artwork, having the ever-potential to be priced highly. Despite the fact of every priceless work already in public domain, both are also well-known for oil painting reproductions.
9) “The Starry Night” – June, 1889. St-Rémy. Current Location: Museum of Modern Art, New York City
10) “The Night Café ” – September, 1888. Arles. Current Location: Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven
What will be your pick? I would be interested to hear your ideas and opinions for the next 2 to complete Van Gogh’s Top 10 most expensive paintings.
Tags: Art, For Sale, Portrait, Pricing, Reproductions, Van Gogh, What-is
Learn to write Chinese characters for numeric 1-10 is not as difficult as many has thought. Doesn’t require you to have any prerequisite knowledge, not even calligraphy paintings. No brush and black water ink color. All you need to use is just a marker pen or any basic writing stationary you use daily in office, home, or school. There are easy to learn and any Chinese will recognize what you want to message them by writing with a pen on a white piece of paper.
There are some basic rules; always get the basic stroke and directions correct. Generally, directions of basic strokes to make Chinese words are:-
- Left to right, top to bottom, sometime end with a vertical hook.
- Dash-dot in the directions from top to rightward or leftward.
- Descending strokes from top to diagonally left with a straight ending. And
- Trailing strokes from top to diagonally right with a slight curve ending.
Okay, straight to the point to learn how to write Chinese characters 1 to 10.
Learn to write Chinese Character 1 (One). The simplest of all. Consist of a horizontal strokes from left to right.
Chinese Character 1, One
Learn to write Chinese Character 2 (Two). A short and a longer strokes at the bottom. Both left to right direction.
Chinese Character, Two, 2
Learn to write Chinese Character 3 (Three). Quiet similar to Chinese character 2, but with a short middle strokes horizontally.
Chinese Character, Three, 3
Learn to write Chinese Character 4 (Four). Looks like a small square, and within consist of 2 dash-dots in opposite direction. Total five strokes to make a word.
Chinese Character, Four, 4
Learn to write Chinese Character 5 (Five). Try to maintain the horizontal strokes to be straight, and stroke with vertical direction to slightly lean towards right.
Chinese Character, Five, 5
Learn to write Chinese Character 6 (Six). Keep the dash strokes to be short.
Chinese Character, Six, 6
Learn to write Chinese Character 7 (Seven). There are only 2 strokes to make this word. Below is recognized as the simplified way of writing “seven”. To be precise, the horizontal stroke is written slanted slightly up, and the “L” strokes consist of a small hook at the lower ending.
Chinese Character, Seven, 7
Learn to write Chinese Character 8 (Eight). This is easy and the most auspicious character in Chinese culture. Quite similar to the 2 inner strokes in Chinese character four. This character word is more bold, bigger and widely spread out. Consist of 2 strokes writing in opposite directions; left stroke is shorter that the right.
Chinese Character, Eight, 8
Learn to write Chinese Character 9 (Nine). Only consist of 2 strokes. Second strokes has a right-angle bent and end with a hook in right direction.
Chinese Character, Nine, 9
Learn to write Chinese Character 10 (Ten). This is as good as the mathematical symbol “+” (plus). Definitely not the cross use in religious symbol.
Chinese Character, Ten, 10
Additional learning to describe hundredth, thousandth, and tenth thousand.
Learn to write Chinese Character 100th (Hundredth). This is a bad writings, especially stroke #2 and #3. It is still recognize as a Chinese character “100th”, but in an unrefined manner. It consist of 6 strokes, with 2 faults you should not follow. Strokes #2 should not budge out to the third strokes. And strokes #3 should have a nicer right turn, instead of the crooked corner.
Chinese Character, Hundredth, 100th
Learn to write Chinese Character 1000th (Thousandth). This is easy. Seems like just an additional strokes on top of the Chinese character “ten”. If you look closely, the order of writings this 3 strokes is not the same.
Chinese Character, Thousandth, 1000th
Learn to write Chinese Character 10,000th (Tenth Thousand). This is very unique for the Chinese to name tenth thousand in just a single character. Compare 13 English alphabets with only 3 simple Chinese writing strokes. Do you see the beauty in this word?
Chinese Character, Tenth Thousand, 10000th
Tags: Beginner, Calligraphy, Culture, East Asia, How-to