Not at that time: why geniuses are not recognized during their lifetime. Brilliant scientists of the world, not recognized by their contemporaries

20 chosen

What we have, we don’t keep, but when we lose, we cry. This is very true when applied to the work of unrecognized masters of the brush in their time.

During the artist’s lifetime there are many connoisseurs and critics, and after his death the number of connoisseurs and purchasers increases significantly, as does the cost of the paintings. Is it a coincidence that such a symbolic coincidence: on February 18, 1895, an exhibition-auction of Paul Gauguin’s paintings failed, the proceeds were only enough to pay the rent, and on February 9, 2012, his painting “Still Life and Esperance,” painted in a tribute to Vincent Van Gogh with a top estimate of $15.4 million?

Why does it happen that fame comes to an artist only after his death?

Was the artist ahead of his time and his contemporaries were simply unable to understand and appreciate his talent?

Paul Gauguin -most of He lived his life in poverty, his works were almost never in demand among connoisseurs.

A collection of 47 paintings he painted in Tahiti that were put up for that ill-fated disastrous auction were recognized as a masterpiece after his death.

Gauguin was threatened with prison, from which he was saved by death from a heart attack in 1903. And in 1906, an exhibition of more than 200 of his works was held, from which his Fame and Fame began.

A sad example of an artist who laid his whole life at the feet of art.

Do art critics only love the dead?

Amedeo Modigliani – art was his only source of existence and, despite the indifference of art dealers, he was absolutely confident in his genius. Now his paintings are worth millions and critics in unison admire the “amazing graceful smooth lines"and "expressive forms". The artist's first and only personal exhibition caused a scandal because the paintings depicted... nude models - future "nudes"... Modigliani died at the age of 35 from tuberculous meningitis against the backdrop of alcohol and drug abuse in complete poverty.

At the Sotheby's auction in 2004, the most expensive was: “Boy in a Blue Jacket” by Modigliani. The canvas went for 11.2 million dollars.

In all these portraits there is one woman - Jeanne Hebuterne, Modigliani's wife and muse. She could not survive his passing and fell to her death by jumping from the fifth floor, although she was expecting her second child.

He made a living by another craft, paintings were his “outlet”, and people realized too late that there was an Artist next to them?

Niko Pirosmani - Nikolai Pirosmanishvili, self-taught artist. He was a printer, a shepherd, a brakeman, sold milk and painted signs for drinking establishments and was known as a man “not of this world.” Pirosmani painted his paintings... on oilcloths that were used to cover tables in dukhans. White and black oilcloths. Until the end of his life he lived in complete poverty, sleeping in basements. The place of his grave is unknown; paintings, signs and legends remain. You know one of them: “Once upon a time there was an artist, he had a house and canvases...”.

The scenery for the performance of the Bolshoi Drama Theater “Khanuma” - take a closer look, these are his paintings: “As soon as I close my eyes, you stand before me! As soon as I open my eyes, you float above my eyelashes!”

Real fame simply did not have time to come to the artist because he died too early?

Konstantin Vasiliev –Konstantin Velikoross the pseudonym of an artist who had 34 years of life and four hundred works to his name. “Vasiliev’s works do not carry the content that we can see in the paintings of Vasnetsov, Vrubel or Repin, they are nothing more than interesting book illustrations". This is how they appreciated the bewitching magic of his paintings - illustrations... Vasiliev died tragically in 1976 - he was hit along with a friend at a crossing by a passing train, the investigation was stopped. Personal exhibitions, a museum, official and not so official websites named after him, clubs, films... but without him I won’t talk about Vasiliev’s paintings - it’s pointless, you need to see them. His last work is “Man with an Owl”, under the feet of an old man there is a burning scroll “Konstantin Velikoross 1976...”

The fact that geniuses often remain unrecognized during their lifetime, and their discoveries are appreciated only subsequent generations, - alas, a sad pattern. Dramatic and sometimes tragic fates many great scientists confirm two truths: all geniuses scientific discoveries and inventions were significantly ahead of their time, and the non-acceptance of innovations by the public was caused either by indifference or fear of novelty.

Let's remember a few more famous names who made an invaluable contribution to the growth of progress and the development of civilization as a whole.

Semmelweis Ignaz Philipp , (1.7.1818 – 13.8.1865), Hungarian doctor, obstetrician

After graduating from the medical faculty of the Vienna Institute in 1844, Semmelweis went to work at a clinic, where he became interested in the cause of the so-called “puerperal fever” - postpartum sepsis, which killed almost a third of women in labor. At that time, every clinic had a morgue, and often the same doctors dissected corpses and delivered babies. In 1846, this fact prompted a young doctor to develop a method to combat postpartum sepsis: he suggested that doctors disinfect their hands with a solution of bleach. The method gave amazing results: the mortality rate of young women due to postpartum sepsis dropped sharply from 29 to 1.2%.

However, despite its simplicity and effectiveness, Semmelweis' method was met with medical community extremely hostile. Constant persecution brought the innovating doctor to psychiatric hospital, where he died. This discovery received recognition only after his death, and in 1906 a monument to Ignaz Semmelweis was erected in Budapest, on the pedestal of which was the inscription “Savior of Mothers.”

(August 10 (22), 1873 – April 7, 1928), doctor, economist, philosopher, politician, natural scientist

In the 20s of the last century, the Russian scientist-economist A.A. Bogdanov published a draft of a new scientific discipline– tectology, or, as the scientist himself explained, “universal organizational science.” The work of the same name remained misunderstood and unrecognized by contemporaries, although later the Soviet cyberneticist G.N. Povarov wrote that Alexander Bogdanov’s tectology anticipated the creation new science– cybernetics. When creating cybernetics, Norbert Wiener was guided precisely by the scientific works of Bogdanov.

In addition, A. Bogdanov, developing such a science as eugenics, in 1926 created and headed the world's first Institute of Blood Transfusion. The scientist carried out all the risky experiments on himself. During one of these experiments he died, giving his life to science in the most literal sense.

(July 20, 1822 – January 6, 1884), Austrian biologist and botanist, founder of the doctrine of heredity, later named after him

The Austrian scientist Mendel took the first step towards modern genetics. Discovered by him empirically and formulated in scientific works The patterns of inheritance of monogenic traits are today known throughout the world as “Mendel’s Laws.” In 1865, Mendel presented the results of his experiments to the Society of Naturalists in Brünn, which a year later were published under the title “Experiments on Plant Hybrids.” The scientist ordered 40 prints of his work, which he sent to famous botanical researchers. But his work did not arouse any interest among his contemporaries.

Until the end of Mendel’s life, his research was not recognized by the world’s scientists; they were called fantasies, “far-fetched” to academic science. After the death of the scientist, a slab was installed on his grave, on which a prophetic inscription was carved: “My time will come!”

(November 26, 1857, Geneva - February 22, 1913), Swiss linguist who laid the foundations of semiology and structural linguistics

F. de Saussure wrote his first work, “Memoir on the original vowel system in Indo-European languages,” in 1878 at the age of 21 and immediately glorified the young linguist in scientific circles, although it was received ambiguously by scientists. Most linguists considered his works far-fetched, superficial and lacking evidence. However, he continued to work hard on his theory, studying ancient Indo-European languages, but during his lifetime this work never received recognition in linguistic circles. The scientist’s main work, “A Course in General Linguistics,” was published only three years after his death, in 1916. And only half a century later, Ferdinand de Saussure was called the “father” of linguistics of the twentieth century, the founder of the Geneva School of Linguistics. Today his “Memoir” is considered as a shining example of scientific foresight.

(July 10, 1856 – January 7, 1943), inventor in the field of electrical and radio engineering, engineer, physicist

Contemporaries often pronounced the name Nikola Tesla with mystical fear: the scientist was too extraordinary, incomprehensible and mysterious a person. The significance of his discoveries in the most different areas science is difficult to overestimate: he discovered fluorescent light, alternating current, wireless energy transmission; he developed the basics of treatment with high-frequency currents and the principles of remote control, designed the first solar-powered engine, the first electric clock and many other devices that humanity still uses today. Suffice it to say that he invented radio before Popov and Marconi, and received three-phase current earlier than Dolivo-Dobrovolsky. He filed more than 300 patents for his inventions, and the entire modern electric power industry is based on his discoveries.

The work of the brilliant scientist was noted by the Nobel Committee, but Tesla refused the prize, not wanting to receive it together with Edison, to whom Tesla could not forgive the “black PR” against one of his inventions.

Nikola Tesla died in 1943 own laboratory, in complete poverty. Many of him outstanding discoveries forever lost for future generations: most of the scientist’s diaries disappeared without a trace. Tesla's contemporaries believe that he himself burned them on the eve of World War II, believing that humanity is not yet able to use the knowledge contained in them for their own benefit and not for harm.

Mozhaisky Alexander Fedorovich (1825 – 1890), Russian military leader, rear admiral, inventor, aviation pioneer

The idea of building a heavier-than-air flying device had long excited Russian naval officer Alexander Mozhaisky, but to begin work on a fundamentally new project aircraft he was able to do so only in 1876, when he enlisted in the Marine Corps. In the process of working on his invention, Mozhaisky used consultations from major Russian scientists, and built the aircraft using own funds.

The world's first airplane was tested on July 20, 1882. The device managed to take off from the ground and fly some distance, but then it lost speed and fell to the ground, damaging the wing. Mozhaisky never managed to repair the plane: he ran out of his own funds, and the government did not show any interest in the invention. So the unique device stood under open air several years until it was dismantled. However, despite the lack state support, the naval officer did not quit scientific research on issues of aeronautics: on the contrary, for their sake he left military service and continued scientific work with my own modest means. At the end of his life, Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky wrote in his diary: “I wanted to be useful to my Fatherland...”

After Mozhaisky’s death, his son turned to the government with a request to buy the remains of the aircraft so that Russian scientists could continue working on improving the flying instrument, but was refused.

The merits of the Russian sailor-inventor could only be appreciated in the 20th century, when aircraft construction became widespread. Aviation historians have noted that all five basic elements inherent in modern aircraft were present in Mozhaisky’s design. It turned out that his ingenious invention was several decades ahead of its era.

Pirogov Nikolay Ivanovich (November 13, 1810 – November 23, 1881), b.Russian surgeon, naturalist, anatomist, teacher, corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.

Today, the name of Nikolai Pirogov - the founder of Russian military field surgery, the creator of topographic anatomy - is included in all medical textbooks, reference books and encyclopedias. The tactics he developed surgical intervention made it possible to turn surgery into a science. His unique surgical techniques, allowing him to avoid amputations, became a real breakthrough in world surgery. Nowadays, one of the methods of performing operations is called: “Pirogov’s operation.”

Despite his enormous contribution to the development of surgery, Pirogov was out of favor with Tsar Alexander II for criticizing the general state of the Russian army. By decree of the tsar, he was sent into exile to Ukraine, where he was then sent into retirement without the right to receive a pension. But even after this, the scientist remained faithful to his work: in the village where he was exiled, Pirogov organized a hospital, where he worked as a simple doctor until his death.

*****

This list can be continued for a long time: fate rarely spoiled great scientists and pioneering researchers. And today little has changed in this regard, just remember the hard way Russian scientist and inventor. His idea for creating string transport Sky Way is still perceived by many as a utopia. Well, history repeats itself: this brilliant invention was ahead of its time again.

Rogova Anastasia 09/23/2010 at 10:00

In the 21st century, their paintings are sold at auctions for fabulous sums, their literary works included in school curriculum many countries, their music is heard in the most prestigious theaters in the world... But during their lifetime they received nothing but curses and public censure. Poets, artists, composers - fate was unfair to many of the geniuses.

There is a well-known saying that talent needs to be helped to break through, but mediocrity will break through on its own. However, it is not always talented person receives help from the outside, and only after his death, as if having come to his senses, those around him suddenly begin to admire his work. Often this happens because the genius himself does not seek fame and even resists attempts to impose this fame on him. Serving art for true geniuses is creativity for the sake of creativity, and not for the sake of bonuses and fees, although for many creators the smile of fortune could save their lives.

One, perhaps, of the most famous people, to whom fame came posthumously, is the Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh. It can be considered a symbol of an unrecognized genius. Vincent's interest in painting arose during his work as a dealer in one of the art and trading companies. He learned to understand painting and began to earn decent money.

And then the biographers get confused, agreeing on only one thing - Vincent fell unsuccessfully in love, quit his job and fell into religion. Future artist became a missionary. But he carried out his mission so zealously that church representatives hastened to get rid of the fanatic. Then Van Gogh transferred his energies to art. However, they did not understand it here either. Today, about 850 paintings by the artist, many drawings and engravings are known, and during his lifetime he sold only one work - “Red Vineyards”, and even that was bought by Van Gogh’s friend.

Once, during the liquidation of a cafe, Van Gogh was allowed to organize an exhibition and sale of his paintings there. There was no buyer for any of them. As a result, many of Van Gogh's paintings were simply thrown away or given to those who wanted to paint new paintings on them. Today, the master’s masterpieces hang in the most prominent museums, they are hunted for at auctions, they are stolen for private collections, and no one doubts his genius.

Although there was still one “relapse”. At the exhibition “Degenerate Art” organized by the Nazis, Van Gogh’s works occupied the main place, along with paintings by Picasso, Munch, Cezanne and other masterpieces of world fine art.

Among the writers there were also many who became famous posthumously. Stendhal, considered a classic today French literature, during his lifetime he was famous as a salon wit and intellectual. But his writing experiments were not successful. The situation was not changed by the laudatory review of Balzac, who was perhaps the only one who recognized a true artist of words in Stendhal. But what was visible to the brilliant Balzac escaped the attention of other contemporaries. Stendhal died on the street - from apoplexy.

Several notes reporting his death stated that a little-known German (!) poet had died. This is how France celebrated the death of one of its most talented writers. Moreover, in recent years, Stendhal, who supported himself by odd literary jobs, spent his life on the brink of poverty.

A classic closer to us, whose fame has already overtaken him beyond the grave, is Franz Kafka. His books, which are read by millions today, were at one time perceived as something unintelligible. True, this also reflected the character of Kafka himself, who was an unsociable person, was distinguished by mental instability and had many serious illnesses. During his lifetime, Kafka managed to publish only a few stories that were not noticed.

Therefore, before his death, the writer decided to destroy his works, which he asked his friend to do in a letter. However, the friend did not do this, but made every effort to publish the manuscripts. Kafka's works became a sensation. And today he is one of the most popular writers in the world. It is noteworthy that Kafka’s mistress, who kept many of his manuscripts, listened to the dying man and destroyed everything she had.

The English poet, one of the best lyricists of world literature, John Keats did not live to see his fame for only a few months. The young gifted poet was terminally ill with consumption, for which there was no cure at that time. During my short literary career Keats heard not a word of praise from the serious critics who shaped public opinion. On the contrary, if articles devoted to his poems were published, they were only devastating. Keats died very young - at the age of 25, and soon after his death a book of his poems was published, which gained such popularity among readers that critics could only posthumously recognize him as a genius.

Another poet who died early, Arthur Rimbaud, was luckier with the patronage of older writers. The gifted young man was proclaimed the new Shakespeare and was predicted to achieve brilliant fame. But Rimbaud stopped writing when many people are just starting - at the age of 20. He decided to become a traveler and gold miner. But nothing came of his idea.

Rimbaud died at the age of 37, in a hospital where he was considered a merchant. The cause of death was leg amputation, which had a detrimental effect on general condition the poet's health, undermined during his travels. After his death, Rimbaud’s poems, like the poems of other symbolists who called themselves “damned poets,” gained fame, and today Rimbaud occupies a strong place in the “golden fund” of world poetry.

The famous Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky, whose name sounds on par with musical geniuses of all times and peoples, also during his lifetime did not taste the fruits of his gift. Author of such masterpieces as "Khovanshchina", "Boris Godunov" and many more musical works, Mussorgsky worked on them all his life, but died without finishing his main work. Another Russian became his executor genius composer- Rimsky-Korsakov, who not only completed Mussorgsky’s works, but also achieved their production on the imperial stage, which ensured their universal recognition and elevated Mussorgsky to the Olympus of Russian musical culture.

Rogova Anastasia 09/23/2010 at 10:00

In the 21st century, their paintings are sold at auctions for fabulous sums, their literary works are included in the school curriculum of many countries, their music is heard in the most prestigious theaters in the world... But during their lifetime they received nothing but curses and public censure. Poets, artists, composers - fate was unfair to many of the geniuses.

There is a well-known saying that talent needs to be helped to break through, but mediocrity will break through on its own. However, it is not always the case that a talented person receives outside help, and only after his death, as if having come to his senses, those around him suddenly begin to admire his work. Often this happens because the genius himself does not seek fame and even resists attempts to impose this fame on him. Serving art for true geniuses is creativity for the sake of creativity, and not for the sake of bonuses and fees, although for many creators the smile of fortune could save their lives.

One of perhaps the most famous people to whom fame came posthumously is the Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh. It can be considered a symbol of an unrecognized genius. Vincent's interest in painting arose during his work as a dealer in one of the art and trading companies. He learned to understand painting and began to earn decent money.

And then the biographers get confused, agreeing on only one thing - Vincent fell unsuccessfully in love, quit his job and fell into religion. The future artist became a missionary. But he carried out his mission so zealously that church representatives hastened to get rid of the fanatic. Then Van Gogh transferred his energies to art. However, they did not understand it here either. Today, about 850 paintings by the artist, many drawings and engravings are known, and during his lifetime he sold only one work - “Red Vineyards”, and even that was bought by Van Gogh’s friend.

Among the writers there were also many who became famous posthumously. Stendhal, who today is considered a classic of French literature, was famous during his lifetime as a drawing-room wit and intellectual. But his writing experiments were not successful. The situation was not changed by the laudatory review of Balzac, who was perhaps the only one who recognized a true artist of words in Stendhal. But what was visible to the brilliant Balzac escaped the attention of other contemporaries. Stendhal died on the street - from apoplexy.

Therefore, before his death, the writer decided to destroy his works, which is what he asked his friend to do in a letter. However, the friend did not do this, but made every effort to publish the manuscripts. Kafka's works became a sensation. And today he is one of the most popular writers in the world. It is noteworthy that Kafka’s mistress, who kept many of his manuscripts, listened to the dying man and destroyed everything she had.

The English poet, one of the best lyricists of world literature, John Keats did not live to see his fame for only a few months. The young gifted poet was terminally ill with consumption, for which there was no cure at that time. During his short literary career, Keats did not hear a word of praise from the serious critics who shaped public opinion. On the contrary, if articles devoted to his poems were published, they were only devastating. Keats died very young - at the age of 25, and soon after his death a book of his poems was published, which gained such popularity among readers that critics could only posthumously recognize him as a genius.

Rimbaud died at the age of 37, in a hospital where he was considered a merchant. The cause of death was amputation of a leg, which had a detrimental effect on the general health of the poet, who had been undermined during his travels. After his death, Rimbaud’s poems, like the poems of other symbolists who called themselves “damned poets,” gained fame, and today Rimbaud occupies a strong place in the “golden fund” of world poetry.

The famous Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky, whose name sounds on par with musical geniuses of all times and peoples, also did not taste the fruits of his gift during his lifetime. The author of such masterpieces as “Khovanshchina”, “Boris Godunov” and many other musical works, Mussorgsky worked on them all his life, but died without finishing his main work. His executor was another Russian genius composer, Rimsky-Korsakov, who not only completed Mussorgsky’s works, but also achieved their production on the imperial stage, which ensured their universal recognition and elevated Mussorgsky to the Olympus of Russian musical culture.

June 7 marks the 165th anniversary of the birth of Paul Gauguin, an artist from tropical islands, who painted exotic landscapes and dark-skinned Tahitian beauties. The RIA Novosti Weekend project recalls Gauguin himself and other geniuses who did not live to see their own glory, and examines how after death (and sometimes thanks to it) myths about great people of the past were born.

Paul Gauguin: Fugitive from a Tropical Island

For many years, Paul Gauguin dreamed of distant lands where he could devote himself entirely to creativity. He had a passion for travel since childhood: he spent the first years of his life in Peru, his mother’s homeland, and in his youth he got a job on a ship as a pilot’s mate and traveled off the coast of South America.

The decision to focus on painting came to Gauguin at the age of 37 - by that time he had a family and five children. His relatives would have preferred a career as a stockbroker, but his passion—collecting art and his own artistic experiences—one day overpowered the attraction of financial reports. The artist left his family (as he thought, for a while) and devoted his life to his main work, for the sake of which he was ready to endure hardships, walk around in a shabby coat, a faded hat, and worn-out shoes.

“It contains my capital, the future of my children, it will glorify the name that I gave them. Therefore, I continue to paint; now it does not bring me money (bad times), but it promises success in the future. You will object that it is far from the goal, but what do you think I should do? Am I the one who suffers most from this?

From that moment on, he did not have easy times, whether he lived in Pont-Aven, sought his fortune in Martinique or tried to achieve success in Paris. The Parisian winter of 1885-1886 turned out to be especially difficult for the artist, when, driven to despair, he did not die of hunger only because he was posting posters around the city.

But without rejection from the world, the desire to escape, would the artist have become what he became? His enlightenment, his maturity and his artistic language- we find all this in works created in Tahiti and Hiva Oa - the island where Gauguin spent the last years of his life.

“It seems to me that I have never been able to achieve such a majestic and deep sonority in color,” Gauguin said about his painting “Woman under a Mango Tree,” created in 1892.

In 1891, the artist first went to Tahiti, a couple of years later he returned to France for some time, and then, permanently, moved to French Polynesia.

Life in Tahiti seemed filled with bright colors - “poetry in everything,” amazing nature, women who were a pleasure to paint (one became his wife, many simply stayed overnight) delighted and inspired the artist. Colonial France dictated its own rules and way of life on the island, but the grain of the “rotten civilization” from which Gauguin fled had only just begun to take root and had little influence on the free morals of the indigenous population. At the same time, health problems (the artist suffered from syphilis and leprosy), finances and local authorities increasingly pushed him to the idea of moving back to Europe - this time to Spain.

But that never happened. Gauguin died on Hiva Oa.

During the artist’s lifetime, there were no eccentrics on the island willing to buy his paintings, so Gauguin simply donated the paintings or left them as collateral. At an auction held after his death, all of his works were sold at a negligible price, and most of the works were completely thrown into the trash thanks to an “expert” from Papeete, who sorted through the artist’s archive and concluded that watercolors and drawings “have the right place.”

Paul Gauguin. "Where did we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?" 1897

Not much time passed, and Gauguin turned out to be a genius, whose works were called masterpieces by both critics and the public: something happened that the artist could not even dream of all his life. Hundreds of “art lovers” rushed to the islands in the hope of buying up the works, and the most enterprising, without further ado, scraped signatures from the paintings of his follower Charles Laval. The world fell in love with Gauguin.

Years later, a letter written to the artist by his friend Daniel de Monfred, who persuaded Gauguin to stay on the islands, seems strikingly apt:

"If you return now, there is a danger that you will spoil the incubation process that is going through the public's attitude towards you. Now you are a unique, legendary artist who, from the distant South Seas, sends us amazing, unique things, mature creations great artist, already, in his own way, left the world. Your enemies (like everyone who irritates mediocrity, you have made many enemies) are silent, they do not dare attack you, they cannot even think about it. You're so far away. You don’t need to come back... You are already as unapproachable as all the great dead; You already belong to art history."

Vincent Van Gogh: crazy mystic

Van Gogh is a textbook example of how genius is revealed after death, and a special role in posthumous fame is played by the image created by enterprising dealers in order to promote and sell paintings.

Freelance self-taught artist, unrecognized genius, a lonely madman who cut off his ear - these are the “components” of the myth about Gauguin. This image appeared with the enthusiastic participation of the German gallery owner Julius Meyer-Graefe, who turned out to be the owner of several paintings by the painter and decided to “correct” the painter’s biography, adding dark and mystical colors in order to sell the paintings more profitably.

Vincent Van Gogh. Self-portrait. 1889

But the Van Gogh phenomenon is not about madness recent years, which made the artist’s personality the talk of the town, but in the colossal path that he traveled in a short ten years. Like Gauguin, the artist first made a career in the commercial field - he sold paintings and already at the age of 20 he was earning more than his father. Afterwards, he was planning to become a priest, and spent six months interning as a missionary in Belgium, but ultimately abandoned this idea.

His education: a year of visits to the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, a year of study in Antwerp and another two years at the prestigious art school famous teacher Fernana Cormona. Other "universities" - rural landscapes, fields of sunflowers in Arles and night cafes, blooming with bright colors on some canvases and becoming disturbing images on others. The “evolution” of Van Gogh’s brush was rapid, and his style was unique and unlike anything else.

During his lifetime, Van Gogh really was not popular artist and sold poorly, but he wasn’t a “lone mad genius” either. In correspondence with his brother, Van Gogh appeared to be a reasonable man, his works were well-received by critics and colleagues, and, most importantly, he had the opportunity to paint his “fields and peasants, sea and sailors, mines and miners” without any particular financial difficulties. Behind Van Gogh stood a family whose family business was the art trading firm Goupil & Cie, and, above all, his younger brother Theo, who looked after the artist all his life.

After the death of Vincent (and after him his brother, who could not recover from the heavy loss and died six months later), the collection of the artist’s works and his correspondence ended up in the hands of Theodore’s wife Joanna Van Gogh. There were no hunters for the artist’s work at that time, and Joanna herself did not seek to make money from paintings, remembering her husband’s dream of organizing a posthumous exhibition.

Vincent Van Gogh. Haystacks in Provence, Arles, June, 1888

A major role in Van Gogh’s discovery to the world was played by his letters, published by Theodore’s widow in 1914 with the assistance of Emile Bernard and which shed light on his personality. The “mission” was continued by Theodore’s son, also Vincent Van Gogh, through whose efforts a museum dedicated to the painter appeared in Holland, housing an invaluable collection of the artist’s works.

Franz Schubert: self-taught genius

Franz Schubert, a self-taught Austrian composer, one of the founders of romanticism in music, left behind a huge legacy - songs, operas, sonatas, masses, but only a small part of his compositions, mostly early ones, were known to his contemporaries. Only after his death was his Ninth Symphony performed - the pinnacle of his creativity, a work that in the composer's time was considered too difficult to perform.

For most of his life, Schubert, if not in need, then experienced serious financial difficulties and often did not have the means to buy music paper. In his younger years, his pittance salary as a music teacher was not enough to marry his chosen one, Teresa Grom. The girl did not contradict her mother and married the pastry chef.

Meanwhile, the talent of Schubert, the son of a school principal in the suburbs of Lichtenthal, made itself felt in the very early childhood. The boy independently learned to play the piano, played music, sang beautifully and, under the patronage of two court masters - Salieri and Eibler - was invited to the imperial choir, where he soon received a promotion - the post of first violin.

As he grew older, Schubert left the chapel because his voice was breaking and received a position as a music teacher. At this not the best time for himself, he wrote works with incredible speed: for example, in one of his most productive years, 1815, he created more than a hundred songs (sometimes he wrote 5 - 8 a day), half a dozen operas and operettas, several symphonies and church works.

“I compose every morning; when I finish one piece, I begin another,” Schubert said about his work.

But during his lifetime the world knew Schubert only as a songwriter. While in Vienna, Schubert received recognition in musical circles- but above all as a “light” composer, whose evenings of music were accompanied by entertainment, jokes and conversation with the audience. In his entire life, through the efforts of his friends, his only concert was organized.

Having written "on the table" all his life, Schubert died in 1828 at the age of 31 after a two-week fever. The epitaph on his grave eloquently summed up his life's path:

“Here music buried not only a rich treasure, but also countless hopes.”

Schubert's "discovery" occurred ten years after his death. The Great Symphony was published in 1838, when it was discovered during a visit to Vienna German composer Robert Schumann took it with him to Leipzig, where the work was performed by Mendelssohn. Seven more symphonies, several operas and masses were found forty years later by George Grove and Arthur Sullivan. Thus began the world's interest in the composer's legacy, which was picked up and strengthened by Franz Liszt, Antonin Vorzak, Hector Berlioz, Anton Bruckner, and later by Benjamin Britten, Richard Strauss and George Cram.

Jan Vermeer: Sphinx of Delft

The Dutchman Jan Vermeer was rediscovered only in XIX century(almost 200 years later), and ended his days in poverty. His wife was forced to sell all the works of the creator of “Girl with a Pearl Earring” in order to pay debts to creditors, and after some time the artist’s name was completely forgotten. Later, in order to sell paintings, owners often changed the signatures on Vermeer’s canvases, which further confused the attribution of his works. Thus, the famous “Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window” was bought by the Saxon Elector Augustus III in 1724 in full confidence that he was acquiring a painting by Rembrandt.

During his lifetime, Vermeer was a respected painter who painted mainly to order, and his workshop in Delft was one of the local attractions, which was certainly visited by visiting art connoisseurs. The situation of the artist and his family worsened sharply with the outbreak of war between Holland and France in 1672. Vermeer, who always worked slowly and created two or three paintings a year, with little regard for the interests of the market, lost the opportunity to sell even these few paintings at a decent price.

Jan Vermeer. Girl with a pearl earring. Around 1665-1667

The French traveler Balthasar de Monconi, who visited Holland in the early 70s of the 17th century, wrote in his diary:

"I was introduced to the artist Vermeer in Delft, but he did not have one in his house. own painting. We, however, discovered one from a baker, who bought the work for a hundred livres. I think that even six pistoles would be too high a price."

Vermeer died in 1675 from a heart attack and was forgotten by his contemporaries for two centuries.

Vermeer's worldwide fame coincided with the rise of impressionism, which abandoned the dark tones of the academic style in favor of a bright palette and made light the main object of attention. If contemporaries saw in Vermeer an outstanding portrait painter, then descendants saw a brilliant innovator who raised painting to new heights and, without leaving behind a single student, centuries later he turned out to be the “forerunner” of impressionism.

The discoverer of Vermeer was Théophile Thoré, an art critic and politician who showed great interest in the Dutch painting XVII century, traveled a lot around Europe and on one of his trips came across a painting called “View of Delft”. Tore hurried to find other works unknown artist, and later published a number of articles (under the pseudonym William Bourget, taken in emigration), in which he put the painter on a par with other outstanding Dutchmen. It was Thore who called Vermeer the “Sphinx of Delft” - because of the number of mysteries left behind by the master and which provided him with additional public interest.

Edgar Allan Poe: Brother of the Damned Poets

The "father" of the detective story and one of the founders of the horror genre. Gloomy guy who suffered mental disorders and wrote books that fully reflected the twilight of his suffering soul... Such a portrait is drawn by the imagination when mentioning the name of Edgar Allan Poe, whose life, in fact, is an inexhaustible source of secrets and “sensations”, many of which, however, will remain alive in as myths.

Since childhood, he dreamed of becoming a writer like Byron, whom he adored, and wrote down his first works on sheets of ledgers in the office of his adoptive father John Allan. True story The writer herself is worthy of a book: his parents, traveling artists, died when the boy was five years old; he spent his childhood and youth in a foster family, but his relationship with his father, according to one version, was not the most rosy. As Poe grew older, he went to study at the newly opened university in Richmond, but quickly dropped out, losing in gambling a considerable amount of money, and went into the army. Poe tried to find common language with his relatives, but his stepmother soon died, and he never saw her, and the reconciliation with Allan turned out to be temporary.

Edgar Allan Poe

The myth about Edgar Poe was started by the writer himself: about his youth, he said that, following Byron, he wanted to go to Greece to take part in the war of liberation, but only got to St. Petersburg. Later, biographers refuted his story and proved that in the northern capital future writer there was no way it could be.

The most tragic and mysterious page of the writer's life is his relationships with women and the loss of his wife Virginia Klemm. The writer married a girl when she was 13 and he was 27. When Virginia herself turned 27, she died of consumption. It is still unclear what kind of relationship - love or just friendship - they had, but be that as it may, the grief-stricken writer outlived his beloved by only a year and a half and died at forty years old. mysterious circumstances, without waiting for recognition.

Declared after death as one of best writers, who wrote in English, while during his lifetime Poe tried in vain to earn at least something from collections of stories and poems, and if he had any fame, it was more likely as a caustic critic, tearing other people's books to smithereens.

Poe’s own works, which appeared in print from time to time, also received a fair share: today the writer is spoken of as the founder of detective genre, science fiction and, together with Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker, horror books, and during his lifetime, critics had more complaints than praise for the writer. Here are the typical ones: endless edifications, endless discussions about everything that occupied his imagination, “failures” in the plot and, ultimately, the lack of “feeling for the reader.”

However, it was death that contributed to the growth of sales of his books in American stores. The fact is that after the death of the writer his enemy (and thanks to difficult character and the writer had enough reviews) publisher and editor Rufus Griswold published memoirs in which he declared the writer a complete scoundrel and psychopath. To his surprise, it all ended with the public rushing to buy Poe’s books in order to “see with their own eyes” the strangeness of his character and fate.

Poe's real fame began in Europe, where Baudelaire, who felt a spiritual kinship with the author, did a lot for her. His dark mystical poem "The Raven" came to the court of both the French damned poets and our symbolists. Here at last finishing touch to the “mystical image”: every year on the writer’s birthday, a mysterious admirer, whose face is hidden by a hood, comes to his grave in Baltimore, silently places three roses on his grave, places a bottle of cognac and just as silently leaves. His annual “appearances” since 1930 are a tradition that, despite the army of curious people, no one seeks to break.

Franz Kafka: Lonely Recluse

During his lifetime, Franz Kafka published several stories and not a single novel, and after his main works were published, he became one of the most important writers of the 20th century.

Based on these works and diaries, as well as the memoirs of the writer’s close friend Max Brod, we judge Kafka. Before us is a suffering figure. A sick, insecure man who was at odds with the world and, importantly, with his father - the culprit of the lion's share of his complexes and misfortunes.

“I am unable to bear anxiety and, probably, was created for this purpose, to die from anxiety. When I am weakened enough - and this will not have to wait long - the slightest anxiety will probably be enough to unsettle me.” (from Kafka's diaries)

But this is restless inner life, not outwardly abundant bright events like long journeys. Franz Kafka was born in Prague into a Jewish family, studied at Charles University, where he received a doctorate in law, and spent most of his life as an official in the insurance department, which, judging by his personal records, he hated to the core. When night fell, Kafka sat down at the table and wrote his books filled with a sense of the absurd, the action of which took place as if in a dream - illogical, scary, painfully unclear.

“Only to write furiously at night - that’s what I want. And to die from it or go crazy...” (from letters)

Franz Kafka

There were several unsuccessful relationships in Kafka's life, three broken engagements. After death, all the works of the “anonymous” writer were to be burned. Kafka gave some of his works to his beloved Dora Dimant (and she burned them, although not all), some to Max Brod, who did not fulfill the will of his friend (however, according to him, he did not make any promises) and eventually published “The Trial”, "Castle" and "America", as well as personal diaries writer.

The writer's popularity reached its true peak in the 1940s and 1950s, and those who did a lot to understand the writer's work were Camus, Sartre, Sarrott, Politzer and, of course, Brod himself.

Over the years, skeptics have emerged, unsure that the materials we have add up to a reliable image of Kafka the man. Thus, the Czech writer Milan Kunder was angry with Brod for his romantic, distorted, in the opinion of the writer, view of Kafka. And not so long ago, the book “Understanding Kafka” by James Howes created a lot of noise, who decided to “ground” the image of the holy sufferer with unexpected facts, stating, for example, that the writer subscribed to porn magazines and frequented brothels.

“Scientists pretend that these materials do not exist. The Kafka industry does not want to know this about their idol,” Howes assures, amid disapproving rumbles from the scientific community.

Those who debunk myths have no less chance of gaining public attention than those who create them.

Prepared by Tamara Baranenkova