16 famous people whose talents were recognized only after their death

There are many famous people who continue to live with us as part of their work. Regardless of whether they sought recognition or not, none of them can know how famous they would become posthumously. So, here is a list of the top 16 people who have had a huge impact on society as well as culture even after their death.

1. Vincent Van Gogh

This artist died in 1890, selling only 14 paintings, and the general recognition of his artwork came only after 1900.

Vincent Van Gogh was a shy child with low self-esteem, but later discovered his love of drawing and painting and began to develop his artistic career. He later became depressed and suffered from epilepsy, which led to his death: the artist died of blood loss after a suicide attempt. After his death, he left about 2,000 works, which today are estimated at millions of dollars.

2. Emily Dickinson

The work of Emily Dickinson, which describes her personal thoughts about death, mortality and nature, was published only after her death in 1886.

Emily Dickinson was a shy recluse who hardly published some of her poems throughout her life. After Emily’s death, her sister Lavina discovered 40 hand bindings of nearly 1800 verses and published. Many believe that unfulfilled romantic relationships focused Emily Dickinson’s writing style on a purely personal character and were associated with events with her own life.

3. Franz Kafka

This German writer never lived, enjoying fame, since the publishers did not accept his work and no one took him seriously during his life.

Currently regarded as the most influential existentialist writer of the 20th century, Franz Kafka did not gain fame during his lifetime. He died in 1924 due to suffering from tuberculosis and was unable to take food on his own. Before his death, Kafka instructed his friend Max Broad to burn the work. But, fortunately, Max published them and saved them in history.

4. Edgar Allan Poe

This American writer, who died in 1849, did not even earn enough money to support himself throughout his life.

Edgar is most famous for his poems and stories, in particular, his mystical stories. While he was able to publish his prose, as well as short stories, he never made enough money to support himself. And, after the death of his wife, he succumbed to excessive drinking. His work is revered throughout the world for introducing a new style of writing and topics in the world of literature. The actual cause of Edgar Allan Poe’s death remains a mystery.

5. Henry David Thoreau

This philosopher died in 1862, but his literature inspired many leaders, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy.

An American writer, philosopher, and historian, Henry David Thoreau was able to truly emphasize the importance of wildlife, unity with nature, and the natural world. Throughout his life, Henry was never understood by people, with the result that only two of his books were published while he was still alive.

6. Henry Darger

This artist died in 1973, but became popular only when his famous 15145-page fantasy manuscript was discovered in the 1990s.

Henry was considered a mentally handicapped person who lived a recluse life in Chicago. But he used his experience and life path to create amazing work. Today, he is widely known for his fantasy manuscript, whose name is “The Story of the Vivian Girls”, along with several hundred drawings and watercolor paintings illustrating the story.

7. Gregor Johann Mendel

This scientist died in 1884, but his thorough work was not recognized until the 20th century.

Gregor was an Austrian scientist who received posthumous fame as the founder of modern genetics. He discovered the basic principles of heredity as a result of experiments with peas in his monastery garden, but his discovery was not understood by contemporaries. Today, two laws related to genetics are named after him.

8. Galileo Galilei

This Italian astronomer died in 1642, but his theories were not accepted until the beginning of the 19th century.

Galileo Galilei was a scientist, mathematician and astronomer who played an important role in the scientific revolution, providing valuable information and astrological tools for the scientific world. He built the first telescope, with the help of which sunspots, craters of the moon and many other celestial bodies in outer space were detected. At one time, he was often criticized by those who took an active part in religion, which believed that the world does not revolve around the Sun.

9. Alfred Lothar Wegener

This meteorologist died in 1930, but his hypothesis was not widely accepted until 1950.

Alfred Lothar Wegener was a German polar explorer, geophysicist and meteorologist. During his life, he focused his research heavily on continental drift – he believed that the continents were connected to each other and gradually move around the Earth. But the lack of concrete evidence did not allow his work to earn any approval. After his death, John Tuzo Wilson found substantial evidence that Alfred’s theories were correct.

10. Jan Vermeer

This artist died in 1675, but his talent was recognized only in the 19th century.

Best known for his paintings of everyday life scenes of the middle class, Yang never received recognition of his talent during his life. While he made his living as an artist, he was not famous outside the city of Delft, and, of course, was never rich. It is claimed that the cause of his death was stress due to financial difficulties. Gustav Friedrich Vaagen and Teofil Tore-Burger, who rediscovered Jan Vermeer in the 19th century, published an essay, attributed to him 66 paintings, although today 34 paintings are considered authentic, 5 more are debatable.

11. John Keats

Critics did not like John Keats poetry throughout his life, but by the end of the 19th century he had become one of England’s most beloved poets.

Previously, critics’ opinions about Keats’s poetry were not favorable, with a notable exception from his close friends and exiled Percy Bysshe Shelley. Only after his death at the age of 25 did his work begin to be taken into account by his style and sensuality.

12. Stig Larsson

Well known as a journalist throughout his life, as an author, he became known only after death.

Stig Larsson is best known for his Millennium trilogy, which includes novels: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Blasted Castles in the Air. Although Larsson was known in Sweden as an outspoken journalist and editor, his legacy as a famous writer began after his death in 2004.

13. Oscar Wilde

This iconic author was bankrupt at the time of his death, and only became known after his death in exile in France on November 30, 1900 from acute meningitis.

Oscar Wilde was an English playwright, prose writer and poet of Irish descent. He died in 1900 in Paris completely bankrupt from paying the legal costs of his arrest and imprisonment for “gross indecency” with males. His work became widely known after his death, and he became one of London’s most popular playwrights.

14. Nick Drake

This English musician, who committed suicide in 1974, became famous after his new albums were released in the 1980s.

Nick Drake, who died 41 years ago, was a great musician. He could not find a wide audience throughout his life, but his work is gradually gaining wider attention and recognition. Drake suffered from severe depression and died in 1974 from an overdose of antidepressants.

15. Jeff Buckley

The performer of the legendary song “Hallelujah”, which became widely known after the posthumous release of his works.

A musical legend that died too early with just one album, Jeff Buckley remains one of the most criticized performers of the 1990s. Jeff drowned during a night swim near Memphis, Tennessee. After his death, there were many posthumous releases of his work, including demos and drafts for the unfinished album My Sweetheart the Drunk, as well as extended editions of Grace and Live at Sin-é.

16. Johann Sebastian Bach

This baroque music composer became widely known only after the revival of interest in his music in the 1800s.

One of the greatest composers of all time, Johann Sebastian Bach was little known during his life and is best known as a first-class organist, teacher and writer of organ music. Technically brilliant and highly qualified, he became widely known only after the revival of interest in his music in the 1800s.