Theo van Gogh (art dealer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Theo van Gogh
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Theo van Gogh in 1888
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| Born |
Theodorus van Gogh
1 May 1857 Groot-Zundert, Netherlands
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| Died | 25 January 1891 (aged 33) Utrecht, Netherlands
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| Cause of death | Dementia paralytica |
| Occupation | Art dealer |
| Known for | Financial support and correspondence with his brother Vincent van Gogh |
| Spouse(s) |
Johanna Bonger
(m. 1889) |
| Children | 1 |
Theodorus van Gogh (Dutch pronunciation: [teːjoːˈdoːrʏs ˈteːjoː vɑŋ ˈɣɔx]; 1 May 1857 – 25 January 1891) was a Dutch art dealer. He was the younger brother of the famous painter Vincent van Gogh. Theo's constant financial and emotional support helped his brother Vincent focus completely on his painting.
Theo passed away at age 33, just six months after his brother Vincent died at 37. When Theo died, he owned almost all of Vincent's artwork. Theo's wife, Jo van Gogh-Bonger, worked very hard to share Vincent's art with the world and keep her husband's memory alive. Theo was important in the art world because he helped introduce new Dutch and French art to people. His wife used the connections Theo made to promote Vincent's work. In 1914, she moved Theo's remains to be buried next to his brother Vincent.
Contents
Theo's Early Life and Family
Theodorus "Theo" van Gogh was born on May 1, 1857. He was born in a village called Groot-Zundert in the North Brabant area of the Netherlands.
His parents were Theodorus van Gogh and Anna Cornelia Carbentus. His older brother was the artist Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890).
Theo's Career as an Art Dealer
Theo worked for several years at a Dutch office of the Parisian art dealers Goupil & Cie in The Hague. He started at their Brussels office on January 1, 1873, as their youngest employee. After working in London, he moved back to the office in The Hague. There, he became a successful art dealer. By 1884, he was moved to the main office in Paris, which later changed its name to Boussod & Valadon.
Starting in the winter of 1880–1881, Theo began sending painting supplies and money every month to his brother Vincent. Vincent was living in the Netherlands at the time.
Theo's Personal Life
In Paris, Theo met Andries Bonger and his sister Johanna, who was known as Jo. He really liked her and wanted to marry her. They got married in Amsterdam on April 17, 1889. They wrote many letters to each other during their engagement, which were later published. In these letters, they talked about their future life together. Theo also shared how important his bond with Vincent was.
The couple moved to Paris. Their apartment became a place where artists and people from the art community would gather. Their son, Vincent Willem, was born in Paris on January 31, 1890. On June 8, the family visited Vincent, who was living near Paris in Auvers-sur-Oise.
Vincent died in July 1890 at age 37. Theo's health quickly got worse after Vincent's death. He was weak and found it hard to cope with Vincent being gone. He passed away six months later, on January 25, 1891, at age 33 in Den Dolder.
Theo's Special Bond with Vincent
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Theo looked up to his older brother Vincent his whole life. But talking with Vincent could be hard, even before Vincent decided to become an artist. Theo was the one who kept writing letters to Vincent. Vincent didn't keep the letters Theo sent him. However, Theo saved every single letter from his brother (651 letters in total!). This is why we mostly have Vincent's letters and only a few of Theo's (32 letters from Theo remain).
Theo often worried about Vincent's mental health. He was one of the few people who truly understood his brother. Theo helped Vincent live as an artist by giving him money. He also gave Vincent strong emotional support and love. Most of Theo's letters to Vincent are full of praise and encouragement. Vincent would send Theo sketches and ideas for paintings, along with stories about his daily life. Theo loved receiving these.
Theo's Impact as an Art Dealer
While Theo is best known as Vincent van Gogh's brother, he made many important contributions to the art world himself. Theo was key in introducing new Dutch and French art to the public. He helped make Impressionist artists like Claude Monet and Edgar Degas popular. He convinced his employers, Goupil & Cie, to show and buy their artworks.
In 1886, Theo invited Vincent to live with him in Paris. From March, they shared an apartment in Montmartre. Theo introduced Vincent to other famous artists like Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri Rousseau, Camille Pissarro, and Georges Seurat. In 1888, he convinced Gauguin to join Vincent, who had moved to Arles. Theo not only helped connect Vincent and Gauguin, but he also made it possible for Gauguin to move to Arles. Theo planned and paid for their living and art supplies, as well as Gauguin's travel costs. Theo was also the person Gauguin talked to when his relationship with Vincent became difficult. Theo was a stable support and a go-between for the two artists. This allowed them to create many paintings for a couple of months.
Theo also competed with other art dealers like Durant-Ruel and Georges Petit. In 1888, he showed ten paintings by Monet. Theo also had close relationships with Pissarro. In the autumn of 1888, he showed some of Pissarro's newest works, and in 1890, he held an entire exhibition for him. Theo was also interested in artists like Sisley, Renoir, and other "modern" painters.
The Brothers' Letters
The two brothers wrote many letters to each other. Theo often encouraged his brother, who sometimes felt down. Theo was one of the few people Vincent could talk to and trust. These letters are very important because they are one of the main sources of information about Vincent's life. They share detailed stories about what happened to him, as well as his thoughts and feelings. More than three-quarters of the over 800 letters Vincent wrote were to Theo, including his very first and his very last.
It is thanks to Theo and his wife Johanna that these letters are available today. In 1914, Johanna decided to publish the letters between Theo and Vincent. Very few of Theo's letters survived because Vincent did not keep them. The two years when Vincent and Theo lived together in Montmartre, Paris, are the least documented period of Vincent's art career because there are no letters from that time. These letters show Vincent's emotional and professional state throughout his life, starting as early as 1874. They serve as a kind of diary for his daily experiences. The letters have been collected and published in a book called The Letters of Vincent van Gogh.
Theo and Vincent in Movies
The relationship between Theo and Vincent has been shown in several movies:
- In the 1956 film Lust for Life, Hollywood star Kirk Douglas played Vincent, and British actor James Donald played Theo.
- The brothers' relationship was a main focus in Robert Altman's movie Vincent & Theo (1990). British actors Tim Roth played Vincent and Paul Rhys played Theo.
- The 1991 film Van Gogh by Maurice Pialat also features the brothers. Jacques Dutronc played Vincent and Bernard Le Coq played Theo.
- The 2017 film Loving Vincent was about the delivery of Vincent's final letter to Theo after Vincent's death. This movie was unique because it was animated using oil paintings made in Van Gogh's style.
- Julian Schnabel's 2018 film At Eternity's Gate showed Vincent's artistic life. Willem Dafoe played Vincent and Rupert Friend played Theo.
Theo's Passing and Burial
Theo's health was not strong when he got married. In fact, he couldn't get life insurance because of it. His health got much worse in the months after his brother's death. He was admitted to a hospital in Den Dolder on November 18, 1890. He had been diagnosed with a serious health condition in Paris. He passed away on January 25, 1891. The cause of death was listed as a type of paralysis caused by "heredity, chronic disease, overwork, sadness."
In 1914, Theo's body was moved from his resting place in Utrecht, Netherlands. His wife, Jo, wanted him to be reburied with his brother in Auvers-sur-Oise. She wanted the brothers to "lie together eternally." By doing this, she also made sure that people visiting the grave of the now famous artist would know how close Theo was to his older brother during his life.
See also
In Spanish: Theo van Gogh (marchante de arte) para niños
- Van Gogh's family in his art
- Johanna van Gogh-Bonger
