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When Johanna “Jo” van Gogh married Theo van Gogh, she couldn’t have imagined she’d change art history. Within two years, both her husband and his brother Vincent were gone—one to illness, the other to despair.
Left a widow at 28 with an infant son and hundreds of unsold paintings by a little-known artist, Jo could’ve walked away. Vincent had sold almost nothing during his lifetime. Critics had dismissed him. To most, the paintings were worthless.
But Jo saw more than just canvas and paint—she saw Vincent’s soul in every brushstroke. She read his letters, filled with hope, suffering, and passion, and knew his story had to be told.
She moved back to the Netherlands, ran a boarding house to survive, and began quietly organizing exhibitions. More importantly, she shared the letters between Vincent and Theo—revealing a mind full of brilliance, not madness. Slowly, the world began to listen.
In 1905, Jo curated the first major Van Gogh retrospective in Amsterdam. It changed everything. Critics reevaluated him. Museums began acquiring his work. His name spread far beyond Europe.
Today, Vincent van Gogh is one of the most celebrated artists in history. But it was Jo who made that possible. Her quiet resolve turned obscurity into immortality. Without her, the world may have never seen Starry Night or Sunflowers. Her story reminds us: legacies are often built not just by those who create—but by those who believe.
#WomenInHistory #ArtThatEndures
~Old Photo Club
