About this artwork
Van Gogh painted this Self-Portrait in September 1889, at the asylum of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Remy, where he had been a patient since May. He had voluntarily admitted himself after the ear incident in Arles in December 1888, and he would remain at the asylum until May 1890. This is one of the last self-portraits he painted, and it is the only one from the Saint-Remy period that shows him in full control of his faculties.
The painting shows Van Gogh from the chest up, turned slightly to the left, looking directly at the viewer. He wears a blue smock, a white collar, and no hat. His hair is bright orange, his beard rust-colored, his skin sallow. The background is painted in swirling strokes of blue and green, which seem to emanate from his head and fill the space around him. The brushwork is dynamic, with the paint applied in thick, rhythmic strokes that create a sense of movement across the entire surface.
Van Gogh painted 36 self-portraits over the course of his career, more than any other major painter except Rembrandt. He painted them for practical reasons: he could not afford to pay models, and he was always available to himself. But he also painted them as a form of self-examination, recording his appearance and his state of mind at different moments in his life. The self-portraits from Saint-Remy are the most intense: the brushwork is more agitated, the colors more saturated, and the gaze more direct than in any of his earlier self-portraits.
The swirling background of this painting is one of its most distinctive features. The strokes of blue and green that surround Van Gogh's head are not a representation of any real background. They are an expression of his mental state, painted with the same swirling rhythm that appears in Starry Night, which he had painted in June 1889, three months before this self-portrait. The swirls create a sense of pressure around the head, as if the painter is being buffeted by invisible forces. The effect is both beautiful and unsettling.
Oil on canvas, 57 by 44 centimeters. Van Gogh painted with thick, directional strokes, building the face in layers of warm and cool tones. The orange hair and rust beard are painted in thick, opaque strokes of cadmium orange and red. The blue smock is painted in strokes of cobalt blue and white, with the fabric suggested by the direction of the brushwork. The background is painted in swirling strokes of blue and green, applied wet-on-wet, which give the surface a vibrating, energetic quality.
The vertical format and cool palette make this print work well in a study, bedroom, or hallway. The blues, greens, and warm orange pair with white walls, natural wood, and rooms with a serious or contemplative mood. The 16x20 or 18x24 size gives the face room to read. The painting has an intense, magnetic quality that commands attention in any room.
The painting entered the National Gallery of Art in Washington as part of the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. John Hay Whitney. It is one of three self-portraits by Van Gogh in American museums.
This is a public domain artwork, from the National Gallery of Art, Washington. The image is released under Creative Commons Zero (CC0). We print it on archival matte paper at sizes from 8x10 to 18x24 inches, framed or unframed. The image is printed at full resolution with no cropping.
