There have been thousands of artists throughout art history, and there have been many famous artists who died young. Some of these artists produced a huge amount of work throughout their short life.
Here are some of the most famous artists who died young and their famous paintings.
Frédéric Bazille
Frédéric Bazille was a French Impressionist painter who painted mostly outdoors. He was born in Montpellier, Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France to a wealthy family. Bazille began his career in medicine however quickly turned to becoming an artist specializing in painting, quickly meeting the other Impressionists.
He quickly became a successful artist and went on to create the following masterworks:
- Family Reunion (1867), Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
- View of the Village, (1868), Musée Fabre, Montpellier.
- Bazille’s Studio (1870), Musée Fabre, Montpellier.
After the breakout of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, Frédéric Bazille joined the 3rd Zouaves regiment. During the failed Battle of Beaune-la-Rolande, he was shot twice on the battlefield, aged just 28.
Giorgione
Giorgio Barbarelli da Castelfranco was an Italian painter of the High Rennacance from Venice. While he likely painted a number of works, only six can be clearly attributed to the artist which further adds to his mystique. He co-founded the Italian Renaissance painting with fellow Italian artist Titian. Below are his masterworks:
- Laura (1506), Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria.
- Sleeping Venus (c. 1510), Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, Germany.
- The Tempest (c. 1508), Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice, Italy.
- The Allendale Nativity/Adoration of the Shepherds c. 1505 – National Gallery of Art.
- Castelfranco Madonna c. 1503/04 Duomo of Castelfranco Veneto
Giorgione died in 1510 of the plague at Lazzareto Nuovo which was a quarantine island. The plague was tearing through Europe at the time. His exact age is unknown, however, is believed to have been between 31 and 37.
Georges Seurat
Georges Seurat was a French Neo-Impressionist (also known as Post-Impressionism) painter. He was active in France during the late 19th century. He is best known for popularising techniques known as chromoluminarism and pointillism which became popular in the late 19th century and early 20th centuries. Seurat’s famous works include:
- A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884–1886) Art Institute of Chicago
- Bathers at Asnières, 1884, oil on canvas, 201 × 301 cm, National Gallery, London
- Young Woman Powdering Herself), 1888–1890, oil on canvas, 95.5 x 79.5 cm, Courtauld Institute of Art
- Circus Sideshow (Parade de Cirque), 1887–88, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
- Models (Les Poseuses), 1886–1888, Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia
- The Circus 1890–91, Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
Seurat died at his parent’s home in Paris in 1891 at just 31 years of age. He likely died of meningitis and pneumonia and his young son died shortly after of the same illness.
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (now known simply as Raphael), was an Italian painter during the High Rennacance of Italy. He was born in Urbino, Duchy of Urbino in 1483 and went on to produce an enormous amount of work in a short period of time. Raphael, Michaelangelo, and Leonardi da Vinci were the three powerhouse artists of the Italian Renaissance. His major works include:
- The School of Athens
- Saint George and the Dragon, a small work (29 x 21 cm) for the court of Urbino (Louvre)
- Madonna of the Pinks, c. 1506–07, National Gallery, London
- The Madonna of the Meadow, c. 1506,
- The Parnassus, 1511, Stanza della Segnatura
- Madonna and Child with the Book (1502-3), Norton Simon Museum
- The Holy Family, 1518 (Louvre)
- Triumph of Galatea, 1512, his only major mythology, for Chigi’s villa (Villa Farnesina)
- Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione, c. 1515
- Portrait of Pope Julius II, c. 1512
Raphael died on Good Friday of 1520 of an unknown illness at age 37. His funeral was grand, attended by thousands including cardinals and the pope.
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh was a neo-impressionist painter from France who was active in the late 19th century. He is arguably the most famous artist of all time and despite his short life, producing hundreds of works, many of which are in art galleries and museums around the world. His famous works include:
- Wheatfield with Crows, 1890. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- The Potato Eaters, 1885. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- The Yellow House, 1888. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- Bedroom in Arles, 1888. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- Van Gogh’s Chair, 1888. National Gallery, London
- The Night Café, 1888. Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut
- Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889, Courtauld Institute of Art, London
- The Starry Night, June 1889. Museum of Modern Art, New York
- Starry Night Over the Rhone, 1888. Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Vincent Van Gogh died in 1890 of, what is believed to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He is regarded today as the most significant of the famous artists who died young.
You can earn more about arts here.
