The one painting Vincent van Gogh sold during his lifetime was Red Vineyard at Arles, which is now in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. It was exhibited in Brussels in 1890 and sold for 400 francs.1
In a letter to his brother Theo from Arles (c.6 November 1888) Vincent describes the scene he subsequently painted: "... we saw a red vineyard, all red like red wine. In the distance it turned to yellow, and then a green sky with the sun, the earth after the rain violet, sparkling yellow here and there where it caught the reflection of the setting sun." (ReadVan Gogh letter online.)
After his death five months later, and that of his brother Theo soon thereafter, it was Van Gogh's sister in law Johanna van Gogh-Bonger who strove to establish a market for Vincent's paintings. She also delayed the publication of his letters so that the public would get to know the paintings before the man. "It would have been unfair to the dead artist to arouse interest in his person before the work, to which he had sacrificed his life, was recognized and appreciated as it deserved to be."2
References:
1. Simon Schama's Power of Art (page 298).
2. "The Posthumous Fate of Vincent van Gogh 1890--1970" in Studies in Post-Impressionism by John Rewald, Thames & Hudson, London, 1986. (page 244).
