Becoming Famous

The road to fame for many artists can be an arduous journey.  It is a common belief that it is only after you have passed away that your work is appreciated and admired. Fortunately, there are some great artists who achieved fame during their lifetime.

Leonardo Da Vinci was skilled not only in painting and drawing, but also as a scientist, mathematician and inventor. His road to fame started at the age of 14, after becoming an apprentice to the famous painter Andrea del Verrocchio. His work was admired and if he had not been commissioned by nobility and clergymen to paint, The Last Supper (1498) and Virgin of the Rocks (1483) would not have existed. The ruler of Florence, Lorenzo di Medici, also commissioned him to make a silver lyre for the Duke of Milan in 1482.

Michaelangelo is another artist who gained fame during his lifetime. The Sistine Chapel, which took four years to complete, helped to create public interest in the artist. His work was so popular that two biographies were written about him before he died. The ruler of Florence, Lorenzo di Medici also played a part in helping Michaelangelo achieve his notoriety.

Known as an artistic trailblazer, Picasso rose to fame after Gertrude Stein, a famous collector admired his work. His ability to change his artistic development from realism to cubism to surrealism led him to be a pioneer of the art scene.

Unfortunately, there are other artists who did not attain the recognition they deserved during their lifetime.

Monet was underappreciated as many people didn’t understand or like his unique style, and a lot of his works were rejected for deviating from tradition.

Van Gogh, who is well-known for cutting off his ear and mental health problems, became famous very soon after his death with memorial exhibitions held in Brussels, Paris, The Hague and Antwerp. His work was brought to public attention by critic Albert Aurier who in 1890 published an article praising the intensity of Van Gogh’s artistic vision.

Many artists became famous through exhibitions and public attention, others who were constantly criticized during their lifetime were only found to be remarkable and worthy after their death. We seem to have arrived in a new era in which previously undiscovered art is becoming increasingly popular as an investment with the aim of making it more valuable through marketing.  However, true art connoisseurs value the heart, soul, and love that was poured into the work and not the current market value.