Why Do Artists Become Famous After Their Death?

The artist who becomes famous after his or her death is a stereotype that often comes to pass. It seems ironic and a bit sad that someone who toils at their craft unnoticed in life so often has their genius recognized only after their death.

Examples of this happening are not hard to come by. The famous painter El Greco, of whom it is now said created his own school of Art, was ridiculed during his lifetime. Vincent Van Gogh had a troubled life as a painter; his great body of work was not highly regarded until after his passing. Henri David Thoreau’s work was considered obscure. He only published two books before his death even though they found several hundred in his home after his death in 1862. It wasn’t until the late 1920’s that his work began receiving the acclaim it deserved.

All three of these artists had a common denominator which may very well be the key to why they only became famous after their deaths. The work they produced was very different from what was being created by their contemporaries. This made them ahead of their time. The people of their era didn’t understand their creations, passing them by without recognizing the innovation they represented.

Another reason many artist’s work is not recognized until after their death, is that their death itself draws attention to their work.  Suddenly their work is in the spotlight and is seen as a limited commodity because of the now limited number of originals to be had.  Some artists also have not presented their work to the world and it is not found to be appreciated until after their passing.