Van Gogh | Red Vineyards at Arles, 1888

Author: Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)
Title: The Red Vineyard
Description: The only painting Vincent van Gogh is certainly known to have sold during his lifetime.
Date: Arles, 4 November 1888
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 75 × 93 cm (29.5 × 36.6 in)
Current location: Pushkin Museum

In October, 1888 Gauguin arrived in Aries and moved in with Van Gogh, who was beside himself with excitement and dream of starting if not an artists' colony, at the very least a shared studio. Van Gogh had met Gauguin two gears previously and was in awe of the slightly older artist, whose own opinion of himself was greatly inflated.

The stay ended in disaster culminating in Van Gogh's self-mutilation, but prior to this the two artists had worked on similar projects, and Gauguin's influence can be seen on Van Gogh's paintings of this time.

Van Gogh was particularly enraptured with a local vineyard, whose colours were turning to autumnal reds and yellows as the days shortened into autumn. He painted The Red Vineyard, capturing the mellowed tones and glistening light of the early evening sun reflecting in the river, while Gauguin painted Vineyard at Aries with Breton Women, clothing the women in the traditional Breton costume of his home.

The Red Vineyard at Arles, which he was unusually pleased with, went on to be the only work he sold during his lifetime, and was bought for 400 francs by Anna Boch (1848-1936). | © vangogh.net

"Il vigneto rosso" è un dipinto ad olio, eseguito su un terreno privato dipinto su tela ruvida il 4 Novembre 1888, vicino ad Arles, in Provenza dove Vincent ha vissuto per 15 mesi.

E‘ presumibilmente l’unico quadro venduto dall'artista mentre era in vita negli 11 anni di pittura.

Il vigneto rosso è ora esposto nel Museo Pushkin a Mosca.

E’ destino crudele di tanti pittori che per raggiungere fama e conseguenti riconoscimenti devono prima morire. Il catalogo di De la Faille (1970, pagina 221) afferma che "Il vigneto rosso" fu acquistato dalla signorina Anna Boch per 350-400 franchi circa $ 1945 / € 1582).