Illustration
An 1889 oil on canvas self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh (1853-90), the Dutch post-impressionist artist. Painted in September in Saint-Rémy de Provence. One of 43 self-portraits we have by the artist. The swirls of the background and the similarity in colour between that background and the artist's jacket are typical features of van Gogh's work in this period. The colour choice also accentuates Vincent's red hair and beard. The artist described his purpose with portraits in a letter to his sister Wil:
I should like to do portraits which will appear as revelations to people in a hundred years' time. In other words, I am not trying to achieve this by photographic likeness but by rendering our impassioned expressions by using our modern knowledge and appreciation of colour as a means of rendering and exalting character. (LW 22F)
(Musée d'Orsay, Paris)
License & Copyright
Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished.
Original image by Musée d'Orsay. Uploaded by Mark Cartwright, published on 16 March 2022. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Public Domain. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
Related Images
Joseph Roulin Sitting on a Chair by van Gogh
The Potato Eaters by van Gogh
Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers by Gauguin
The Sower by van Gogh
Sower with Setting Sun by van Gogh
Le Moulin de Blute-Fin by van Gogh
Cite This Work
APA Style
d'Orsay, M. (2022, March 16). Self-portrait by van Gogh. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15458/self-portrait-by-van-gogh/
Chicago Style
d'Orsay, Musée. "Self-portrait by van Gogh." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified March 16, 2022. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15458/self-portrait-by-van-gogh/.
MLA Style
d'Orsay, Musée. "Self-portrait by van Gogh." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 16 Mar 2022. Web. 25 Apr 2024.
