Self-Portrait (1887) by Vincent van Gogh

  • Artwork Name
    Self-Portrait (1887)
  • Artist
    Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), Dutch
  • Dimensions
    Oil on canvas
  • Collection Source
    Van Gogh Museum
  • License
    Public Domain Content: Free for Personal & Commercial Use
  • 5203 x 6600 pixels, JPEG, 40.10 MB
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About the Artist

Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), Dutch, Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, born in Zundert, Netherlands, revolutionized modern art with his emotive brushwork and vivid color palettes. Despite a turbulent life marked by mental illness and poverty, he produced over 2,000 artworks, including masterpieces like The Starry Night and Sunflowers. His career began in earnest at age 27 after abandoning earlier pursuits in art dealing and religious ministry. Van Gogh’s work, initially dismissed as chaotic, later became foundational to Expressionism and Fauvism. He died by suicide at 37, leaving a legacy that reshaped 20th-century art.

Artwork Story

Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait (1887) captures the artist in a moment of quiet intensity, his piercing gaze meeting the viewer with raw honesty. Thick, swirling brushstrokes define his gaunt face and fiery red beard, while the muted blue-green background seems to pulse with restless energy. The painting reveals van Gogh’s fascination with color contrasts—warm oranges and yellows clash with cooler tones, mirroring the inner turbulence that fueled his art. This wasn’t just a study of appearance; it was a psychological excavation, each stroke exposing vulnerability and defiance in equal measure.

Look closer, and you’ll spot the subtle asymmetry in his eyes—one slightly larger, more searching than the other. The palette leans toward the somber earth tones of his early Paris period, yet flickers of impasto brightness hint at the explosive style to come. Van Gogh painted over 30 self-portraits, not from vanity but necessity, using his own face as a laboratory for experimentation. Here, he strips away any romanticism, presenting himself as a working artist: sleeves rolled up, collar slightly askew, wholly absorbed in the act of creation.

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