Why the Idea That Van Gogh Was a Failed Artist Is a Myth

Signs that Vincent was on the brink of success

Self-portrait (1889) by Vincent van Gogh. Oil on canvas. 65 × 54 cm. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France

Dear Reader,

It is undoubtedly true to say that Vincent Van Gogh’s life was a troubled one. We have come to understand Van Gogh’s painting career as one riven with struggles and setbacks, one that ended in the artist’s suicide in 1890 when he was just 37 year…