Matisse wanted to buy a Van Gogh portrait-instead, his brother bought a bicycle

In 1899, Matisse discovered a Van Gogh portrait, L'Arlesienne, and sought funds to buy it, showing his early passion for art. He reached out to his brother for financial help but was ultimately unable to purchase it due to a price hike by the dealer Ambroise Vollard. Matisse's experience illustrates not only the influence of wealth on art prices but also reflects the struggles of emerging artists in acquiring significant works. Notably, Matisse had previously owned a drawing by Van Gogh, linking him to the artist before becoming a leading figure in modern art.

“A picture doesn't have a fixed value. Say I've a picture here and I normally ask 500 francs for it. Someone like Monsieur de Camondo [a very wealthy collector] arrives and takes a passing interest in it. My picture immediately goes up from 500 to 5,000 francs.”

“At Vollard's there was a portrait by Van Gogh of a woman from Arles on a pink background. These days it's famous.”

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