work in progress

Leonardo da Vinci wrote that "art is never finished, only abandoned."

So what does that imply regarding certain artists, such as Vincent van Gogh, who marry their art with their being?

I suppose it means that the work is not abandoned until death, as it is still in progress up until that moment.

If the work is incomplete, then how can it be understood or properly appreciated?

Van Gogh only sold one piece.

Red Vineyards at Arles, oil on canvas, 1888. 450 franks.