Why did Vincent van Gogh sell so little art during his lifetime?

Vincent van Gogh sold very few of his more than 2,000 artworks during his lifetime, and his name was virtually unknown when he died in 1890. Several factors contributed to this lack of commercial success:1

• Lack of Recognition: During the 19th century, the contemporary art market in Paris was primarily focused on mainstream, academic Salon painters whose highly finished, technically traditional works commanded significant prices. Van Gogh’s unique, highly personal style—characterized by striking color and emphatic brushwork—was a radical departure from these established tastes.2345
• Limited Exposure: Van Gogh had very little professional visibility during his life. He exhibited only a few canvases at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris and in Brussels, and one-man shows of his work did not occur until after his death.1
• Isolation: Unlike some of his contemporaries who were part of organized movements, van Gogh largely painted in isolation. He did not benefit from the early promotional efforts of dealers who were actively building markets for other avant-garde artists at the time.52

Ultimately, his fame and the high value of his work only began to develop in the early 20th century.1