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Vincent Van Gogh Predicts The Future
For those interested in the economy, the art world has always served as a good beacon. Art prices have always reflected the sound or unsound state of the economy. However, given what happened at Sotheby’s recently, the state of the economy appears to be walking on perilous grounds, and all this amid whispers on Wall Street, that America could soon be headed into a dark recession.
Recently, Sotheby’s in New York, auctioned off 76 works of art including ‘Wheat Fields’ by Vincent Van Gogh. Of these famous works, an unprecedented 20 failed to find buyers. Sotheby’s financial gurus were tugging at their collective left ear, stunned that the work of Vincent Van Gogh failed to sell.
Vincent Van Gogh painted ‘Wheat Fields’, in 1890. On July 29, the same year, the artist shot himself and died, in Auvers-sur-Oise, France.
In 1987 Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Irises’ sold for a whopping $ 53.9 million which includes the ten percent commission fee that went to Sotheby’s. By all estimates, “Wheat Fields’ should have sold for much more. So, if this is a pointer to the financial downslide of the near future, the time has come to watch the markets. If a recession is around the corner, watch your money. The time is not right to buy wheat fields.
When he was alive, money was the last thing that Vincent Van Gogh had. The mercurial artist was dirt poor and unrecognized. His peers shunned him and society in general thought him unbalanced and dangerous. They called him “Fou Roux” {the red headed madman} and had him arrested and committed to an insane asylum. The one and only human being who stood by him, and believed in him, was his brother.
Vincent Van Gogh sold ONE painting in his lifetime, ‘The Red Vineyard’ for 400 Francs {$80}. It was bought by a woman named Ann Boch in 1890. Today, that painting is in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow. It is ironic that a Vincent Van Gogh painting sells for millions of dollars today. Somewhere, up there in that starry night sky, Theo Van Gogh must be smiling.
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