As an art dealer, Theo van Gogh developed a keen eye for artistic developments. He was so enthusiastic about Impressionism that he did everything he could to pave the way for this art in the Netherlands. Did he succeed?
Around the time that Vincent decides to dedicate himself to becoming an artist, his younger brother Theo starts work at the Parisian gallery Boussod, Valadon & Cie (previously known as Goupil & Cie).
The year is 1881: it will be another six years before work starts on the Eiffel Tower, and the Montmartre ‘district of artists’ is mostly still allotments and windmills. In Paris, the 24-year-old Theo develops a keen eye for artistic innovation.
Portrait of Theo van Gogh, ca 1889
Theo is so enthusiastic that he does everything he can to clear the way for Impressionism in the Netherlands. He encourages his brother Vincent to use more colour in his work, ‘just like the Impressionists’. And he sends numerous shipments of French Impressionist works from France to the Netherlands so that they can be exhibited there, but unfortunately without much success.
Theo’s art collection
Through his work at the gallery, Theo gets to know the complete French avant-garde. He even starts collecting French modern art. On numerous occasions, Theo sends prints from his own collection to the Netherlands for the annual exhibition of the Dutch Etching Club. He hopes that from his base in France, he will be able to introduce people in the Netherlands to artists who are new to them.
In one of the shipments, Theo sends these two etchings that Édouard Manet made of his fellow artist Berthe Morisot. And in his role as gallery owner, he also sends Impressionist art to his firm’s partner gallery in The Hague.
Edouard Manet, Berthe Morisot in Black (Berthe Morisot en noir), 1872
Edouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, 1872
Advice on art acquisitions
If you’re really enthusiastic about something, you tell your friends about it, right? Theo lived in Paris, as did his close friend Andries Bonger. Theo taught Andries to appreciate the most modern art that was available in the city in the 1880s. In 1895, Andries bought this painting by Cézanne from the art dealer Ambroise Vollard. It was a bold choice, as hardly anyone had heard of Cézanne at the time. A retrospective of the artist’s work was yet to be organised, and even after that, it would take a long time (longer than with other Impressionists) before Cézanne’s work got the recognition it deserved. Interesting detail: Theo and Andries were not only friends; they also became family. Theo married Andries’ sister Jo(hanna) in April 1889.
Paul Cézanne, Road Leading to the Lake, c. 1880, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Photo: Rik Klein Gotink
Purchases and gifts
Theo didn’t buy all of the art in his collection; he was also given some pieces. Like this fan, which was a New Year’s gift from Camille Pissarro to Theo’s wife, who was heavily pregnant at the time. But it was also to thank Theo who, after pushing the matter for a long time, had convinced his boss at the art dealer where he worked that they should also start trading Impressionist art. Theo’s boss thought that the new art movement was a rather bold investment, but to artists like Pissarro, this was a turning point. Entering the art market meant that your work was being taken seriously, and that you could make a living from it.
Camille Pissarro, Landscape with Rainbow (Paysage avec arc-en-ciel), 1889
Theo’s infectious enthusiasm for French Impressionism and his attempts to get people in the Netherlands excited about the art movement unfortunately have little impact. It’s only after Theo’s death (in the decades after 1900) that Impressionism gains popularity in the Netherlands.
Next episode
Impressionism is best known for its paintings, but there are also Impressionist sculptures, drawings and prints. In the next episode, you’ll find out more about Degas’ famous dancer, a drawing with a bare bottom that caused a fuss (and is still causing a fuss), and a print series that offers us an intimate glimpse into the daily life of well-to-do women.
