The term “starving artist” is a stereotype! As we know, most true artists must create; it is their life’s blood. The act of creation is part of their make-up rather than just a nine-to-five profession. Sadly, many of history’s greatest artists have infamously led lives of poverty.
Here are 10 famous, highly-skilled artists who suffered rejection, negative criticism, angst and subsequent poverty during their lifetime. Many of them gained recognition during their lives, but died without a pot to piss in, leaving an artistic legacy that still resonates at Christie’s and Sotheby’s.
10. Jean-Honore Fragonard
Jean-Honore Fragonard was born in Grasse, Provence in 1732 and went on to become one of the most famous painters of the Rococo period, with an art career that started promisingly enough, after attending the École Royale des Élèves Protégés in Paris. Fragonard was then sent to Italy, where the artist spent time at the French academy in Rome and had some success after returning to France. Some of his best-known pieces were “Coresus and Callirhoe” and “The Swing”. Yet Fragonard was unable to adapt to the new style of the “Neo-classical” that eventually came into popularity over “Rococo”, a fact that ended the artist’s career, and he died in relative obscurity and poverty in 1806.
9. James Barry
James Barry was born in Ireland in 1741. The artist is best known for his six-part series of paintings, “The Progress of Human Culture”. He completed these for the Great Room of the Royal Society of Arts. Barry became a member of the Royal Academy in 1773 and taught as a Professor there from 1782 to 1799. The artist was one of the earliest of the “romantic” painters in Britain. Although he died in poverty in 1806, Barry was – ironically – thought to be the most important Irish Neoclassical artist.
8. Gustave C. Langenberg
Born in 1859 in Germany, this painter became known as “The Painter on Horseback”. He painted many portraits, including a portrait of Queen Wilhelmina, which still hangs in the Royal Palace at The Hague. Langenberg fought in the Boer War as a member of the British Army. The artist painted many battle scenes of his war experiences. Afterwards, spending time in Mexico, Langenberg painted Mexican scenes including the Hill Indians and Mexican natives. Although he toured much of the world and spent time with Kings and Queens, the artist died alone and penniless in 1915.
7. Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn
Rembrandt was born in 1606 and became one of the most important painters in Dutch history. Historians credit the artist with bringing on the “Dutch Golden Age”. Rembrandt also painted many biblical scenes. Having achieved youthful success as a portrait painter, Rembrandt’s later years were marked by personal tragedy and financial hardships. After his wife died and his friends deserted him, he was pushed into bankruptcy and unable to find any more work. He died in obscurity and poverty in 1669.
6. Domenikos Theotokopoulos (El Greco)
Born in 1541, El Greco studied in Rome before moving to Spain. Some of the artist’s best-known works were created for the Spanish royal family. El Greco was able to make a living as an artist for some time before he fell out of favour and then became the subject of ridicule. The artist even served as an inspiration for painters who brought forth the Expressionist and Cubist movements. Yet, after his work was scorned and laughed at, the artist was unable to continue making a living as a painter, resulting in El Greco’s death in poverty in 1614.
5. Amedeo Modigliani
Amedeo Modigliani was born in 1884. The artist painted and sculpted, spending most of his career in France. Modigliani was known for his unique portraits and rich nudes. The artist’s family was very poor, and tragedy followed him from an early age. He was a true bohemian, drinking absinthe, smoking hashish, and attending wild parties. Modigliani lived fast and hard and died of tubercular meningitis at the age of 35, leaving his nine-month pregnant wife behind. She was so distraught over the artist’s premature demise that she committed suicide the very next day, jumping five stories to her death.
4. Johannes Vermeer
Vermeer is, of course, best known for his painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” but the artist never gained recognition for his talent during his lifetime. After the French invaded the Netherlands in 1672, the Dutch economy suffered terribly, and Vermeer was left deep in debt. The artist also suffered from a number of physical afflictions as well as mental illness. He was forced to borrow money from his family and after his death at the relatively young age of 43; his family was left penniless due to his debts.
3. Paul Gauguin
Paul Gauguin had more than his share of tragedy. The artist lost his daughter Aline to pneumonia and his son Clovis to a blood infection. Gauguin’s work was also considered risqué and exotic during his career and certainly not appreciated for its primitive influences. Gauguin died of heart failure, alone in poverty, having absolutely no idea of the impact that his work would have on the art world.
2. Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was born in France in 1864. The artist was a close friend of Vincent Van Gogh, even using him as a subject in his painting. Toulouse-Lautrec is considered one of the great painters of the Post-Impressionist period. The artist favoured painting the theatrical life of Paris in the 1800s, giving his audiences personal and provocative peeks inside the Moulin Rouge. Unfortunately, the artist suffered from a variety of health issues, including pycnodysostosis (a disease that causes very short, brittle bones). This may have been the cause of his short stature. Depression caused Toulouse-Lautrec to begin drinking, and he died in poverty in 1901 from complications caused by his prolific alcoholism, as well as syphilis.
1. Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh famously only sold one painting during his entire career. The work sold for approximately £70. Although the artist is now gobally recognised as one of the most important painters in history, he was crippled with self-doubt and battled mental illness most of his life. Unfortunately, the artist finally lost this battle and cut his ear off in 1888, committing suicide shortly after that by shooting himself in the chest. His last words were, “The sadness will last forever.” He died penniless and destitute, believing himself to be a failure in the arts.