The woman who built van Gogh’s fame
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In the Netherlands, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, the sister-in-law of Vincent van Gogh, inherited hundreds of his paintings after the deaths of both Vincent and her husband, Theo.
Theo had been Vincent’s art dealer but moved little of his work during his lifetime. Jo, left with limited funds and a young child, chose not to quickly sell the paintings as advised.
Instead, Jo moved back to the Netherlands and opened a boarding house to support herself while she strategically promoted Vincent’s art. Having observed art dealing practices in Paris, she understood the power of creating demand and scarcity. Jo convinced potential buyers of the paintings’ value and carefully managed their release, building a market for Vincent’s work.
She also transcribed and published the letters between Vincent and Theo, shaping the narrative of Vincent as a tortured genius and providing essential context for his art. Jo collaborated with writers and historians to establish Vincent’s place in art history alongside artists like Cézanne and Gauguin. Without her efforts, Vincent van Gogh’s art would not be as widely known or celebrated today, and many women’s contributions to art and culture remain unrecognised.
