Monet and Van Gogh

I probably shouldn't link these two together, as their lives were so completely different, but I will.  Monet was not only an artist, but a highly successful one, and a businessman, as evidenced by his beautiful home and magnificent gardens.  Van Gogh, by contrast, failed at everything during his life, although his goal was not to sell paintings; he painted for his own pleasure.  He sold only one painting during his lifetime, and he scolded his brother, Theo, for selling it for too much money.  (This from our guide at Auvers-sur-Oise, although I've seen nothing in what I've read about Van Gogh to substantiate this.)  We were also told that, after Vincent's death, Theo gave a few of his paintings to friends who weren't thrilled to receive them.

 

Yes, I am finally thinking about actually making something.  Some of you may know that I carry two part modelling ompound with me on trips.  I made some molds from gravestones, one at the cemetery where Monet is buried and one where Van Gogh rests.  So far, this is the only artistic inspiration that I've had from this trip!  Below is a photo of the  inscription and bird from one of the gravestones.  It appeared to me that the grave housed the bodies of a father and four or five of his children.  Each had a very small marker, maybe 4 x 6 inches.
 I guess I didn't take a picture of the second one, in the cemetery where
Van Gogh is buried, but it has the image of a cala lily on it.

I believe that the inscription on the stone reads "time passes and memories stay".