Details

Name

Theo van Gogh

Brief Biography

1857–91, Dutch

Occupation

Art dealer

Description

Theo van Gogh is part of the provenance/ownership history of Sir William Burrell's collection for the work entitled, 'The Rehearsal' by Edgar Degas.
Born in to a family with strong ties to the art market and younger brother of Vincent van Gogh, Theo started work on 1 January 1873 at the Brussels branch of the Parisian art dealership, Goupil's, managed by his uncle Hendrick and for whom both his uncle Vincent and brother worked at yet another of their branches, in The Hague. From mid 1873 to 1878 he worked for the Goupil branch in The Hague, a busy artistic centre partly due to the popularity of The Hague School of artists and where he developed into a talented and successful art dealer.
Moving to Paris in 1878 to represent Goupil's at the 'Exposition universelle', by 1884 he was managing the Boussod & Valadon (formerly Goupil's) gallery at 19 boulevard Montmartre, where he played a pivotal rôle in introducing contemporary French and Dutch art to the public, by persuading his employers to exhibit, then to purchase, the works of Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Edgar Degas, amongst others. This was important as his employers were a bastion of traditional art. He was also entrusted to look for new markets, at the same time, selling works by more established artists such as L'hermitte, Bouguereau, Corot, Daubigny and a particular favourite of his, Monticelli. In 1886, he displayed Impressionist works on the gallery's mezzanine, and in 1887 exhibited works by Gauguin, Guillaumin and Pissarro, whose son, Lucien, he engaged at Goupil's print works.
Establishing an amicable relationship with Degas, his first recorded purchase by this artist was on 22 July 1887, when he bought 'Femme accoudée prés d'un pot de fleurs'. Over the next three years, Theo van Gogh acquired several dozen paintings and pastels by Degas, either directly from the artist or from other dealers, collectors or auctioneers. In January 1888, he arranged a small show for him at Boussod & Valadon. This gesture was much appreciated by Degas who had not exhibited since 1882 and in 1889, Degas allowed Van Gogh to exhibit a selection of his works.
However, by 1890 Van Gogh had grown unhappy in his job, which may have been due to the mortal illness, dementia paralytica – a syphilitic infection of the brain, which would cut his life short the next year. He wrote to his brother, '... those rats Boussod & Valadon treat me as if I'd just started working for them and keep me on a leash'.
Theo decided to leave Boussod & Valadon and to open his own gallery but he never had the opportunity to do so. He was hospitalised on 12 October 1890 in Dr Blanche's clinic in a Paris suburb. A week later Pissarro wrote to his son, Lucien, 'It appears that Theo was ill before his madness ... he had a violent argument with his employers concerning a Decamps painting. As a result of which he suddenly went mad. For, he who had loved his wife and child, wanted to kill them'. He died on 25 January 1891, just six months after his brother.
Although it is true to say that his support and championing of his brother often overshadowed his career, 'Le Mercure de France' art critic summed up his contribution to the art world thus: 'We learn of the death of Theo Van Gogh, the sympathetic and intelligent expert who tried so hard to bring to the public's attention the works of independent artists'.