Vincent van Gogh
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!