Today is the last day of our special month with Kunstmuseum Basel. We hope you liked our selections!
Today's painting was painted at the end of van Gogh's two-year stay in Paris in the winter of 1887/1888. During this very decisive phase of his artistic development, he painted a series of self-portraits. In a letter dated 16 September 1888 to his brother Theo, he explains his approach: "I purposely bought a pretty good mirror so that I could paint myself in the absence of models because if I manage to paint my own head in the right coloring, which presents certain difficulties, I can also paint the heads of other good women and men."
The Japanese woodblock print cannot be associated with a specific piece from van Gogh's collection. In Paris, he became a passionate collector of this art form, acquiring over 400 prints and organizing exhibitions.
I must say that I haven't seen this self-portrait before; it is definitely one of the lesser known versions. :)
If, like Vincent van Gogh, you are a fan of Japanese art, be sure to check out our Japanese Art 50 Postcards Set!
P.S. Here are 10 Van Gogh Self-Portraits you need to know! Each is unique!