“He whom the gods love dies young,” wrote the Greek dramatist Menander (342/41–291 BC). Maybe so, but the death of a gifted artist at a relatively young age is still tragic. Who knows what greater things that individual might have accomplished had he or she lived longer? Here is a list of 10 painters who passed away in their 20s and 30s with samples of their marine art.
Richard Gerstl (1883–November 1908): 25
Austrian painter and most enigmatic artist of turn-of-the-century Vienna. Committed suicide.
Read about Gerstl’s life and art here.
Traunsee mit “Schlafender Griechin” (Lake Traun with Mountain Sleeping Greek Woman), 1907
Oil on canvas
Richard Gerstl (14 September 1883 – 4 November 1908)
Courtesy of Google Cultural Institute
August Macke (1887–1914): 27
German Expressionist painter. Killed in action in World War I.
Read about Macke’s life and art here.
Angler am Rhein (Anglers on the Rhine), 1907
Oil on cardboard
August Macke (3 January 1887 – 26 September 1914)
Courtesy of Lenbachhaus, Munich
Egon Schiele (1890–1918): 28
Austrian Expressionist painter. Notorious during his time for his often sexually explicit depictions of the human body. Died of the Spanish flu.
Read about the life and art of Schiele here.
Hafen von Triest (Harbour of Trieste), 1907
Oil and pencil on cardboard
Egon Schiele (12 June 1890 – 31 October 1918)
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876–1907): 31
German painter. Died shortly after giving birth to her only child.
Read about Modersohn-Becker’s life and art here.
Marsh channel with peat barges, c. 1900
Tempera on paperboard
Paula Modersohn-Becker (8 February 1876 – 20 November 1907)
Courtesy of WikiArt: Visual Art Encyclopedia
George Seurat (1859–1891): 31
French painter usually associated with Pointillism, a style of painting in which small distinct dots of colour blend together when seen from a distance. Died after a brief illness, exact cause unknown.
Read about the life and art of Seurat here.
The Lighthouse at Honfleur, 1886
Oil on canvas
George Seurat (2 December 1859 – 29 March 1891)
Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Umberto Boccioni (1882–1916): 33
Italian painter and sculptor. Saw action in World War I as a soldier in the Italian army. Killed in 1916 after falling from a horse during a cavalry training exercise.
Read about Boccioni’s life and art here.
The Grand Canal in Venice, 1907
Oil on canvas
Umberto Boccioni (19 October 1882 – 17 August 1916)
Courtesy of WikiArt: Visual Art Encyclopedia
Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis (1875-1911): 35
Lithuanian composer, painter and writer. Died of pneumonia.
Read about the life and art of Ciurlionis here.
Aquarius, 1907
Tempera on paper
Mikalojus Konstantinas ?iurlionis (22 September 1875 – 10 April 1911)
Courtesy of WikiArt: Visual Art Encyclopedia
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901): 36
French painter, printmaker and graphic artist known for his depictions of Parisian nightlife. Died of syphillis, having been a regular visitor of brothels.
Read about Toulouse-Lautrec’s life and art here.
Monsieur Emile Davoust, 1889
Oil on panel
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901)
Courtesy of Christie’s
Shared by Marine Café Blog for educational purposes
Hishida Shunso (1874–1911): 36
Japanese painter. Died of kidney disease (nephritis).
Read about Shunso’s life and art here.
Fishing Boat on the Lake, 1900
Silk painting
Hishida Shuns? (21 September 1874 – 16 September 1911)
Courtesy of Obelisk
Shared by Marine Café Blog for educational purposes
Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890): 37
Dutch Post-Impressionist painter, generally considered the greatest after Rembrandt van Rijn. Commited suicide by most accounts.
Read about Van Gogh’s life and art here.
Starry Night Over the Rhone, 1888
Oil on canvas
Vincent van Gogh (30 March 1853 – 29 July 1890)
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
~ Barista Uno
