Van Gogh Didn't Commit to Painting Until 27, and Dutch Realism Was His Starting Point

Vincent van Gogh was 27 when he chose to make art his profession in 1880, which is a late start for the painter. When he began, he already knew the realist painting of the Netherlands, and certain artists in that tradition were among his favorites. For collectors who think about a painter's work in terms of early and late periods, this is the start: a grown man taking up the brush seriously, with Dutch realism as what he knew best.

With reporting from The Collector.