There are many famous people who continue to live with us through their work. Whether they sought recognition or not, none of them could have known just how famous they would become posthumously. So here’s a list of the top 16 people who made a profound impact on society as well as culture even after their death. Vincent Van Gogh This artist died in 1890 having sold only 1 painting, and popular recognition of his artistic work only came about after 1910. Vincent Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime. It sold for the equivalent of approximately $109. He was a shy child with low self-esteem but later discovered his love for drawing and painting, and then developed his artistic career during his 20s. Later he went into depression and suffered from epilepsy, which led to his death. After his demise, around 2000 pieces of his art were discovered which are valued in millions today.

Emily Dickinson

The works of Emily Dickinson that described her personal thoughts on death, mortality and nature only came to light after her death in 1886.

Emily Dickinson was a shy recluse who barely published any of her poems during her lifetime. Upon her death, her sister Lavina discovered 40 hand-bound volumes of nearly 1,800 of her poems and got them published. Many believe an unfulfilled romantic relationship focused her writing style on being highly personal and related to her own life events.

Franz Kafka

This German language writer never lived to enjoy fame, as publishers wouldn’t accept his work and no one took him seriously during his lifetime.

Now considered as the most influential existentialist writer of the 20th century, Franz Kafka never received fame when he was alive. He died in 1924, due to the fact that he was suffering from tuberculosis and was no longer able to eat. Before his death, Kafka had instructed his friend Max Brod to burn all his work. But, thankfully, Brod got all his work published and the rest is history.