Before they hit the Louvre, they were just like us. Okay, except they painted brilliant works of art.
Vincent Van Gogh, "The Potato Eaters," 1885
Van Gogh's first major work, "The Potato Eaters," was painted in dark earth tones, a stark contrast from the hues in his later landscapes. Its aim was to capture the grim realities of peasant life.
Source: mystudios.com
Monet, "View from Rouelles," 1858
"View from Rouelles" was lost for several years, but now it resides in a private collection.
Source: monetalia.com
Salvador Dalí, "Landscape Near Figueras," 1910
Dalí painted this when he was 6 years old. (Depressing.) It's far less surreal than most of his later work, obviously.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Georgia O'Keeffe, "Dead Rabbit with Copper Pot," 1908
O'Keeffe's college-era oil painting — the first she was recognized for — was undeniably a little macabre, but it won the Art Students League's William Merritt Chase still-life prize.
Source: reproduction-gallery.com
