Portrait of a Man

Painted at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy in 1889, this portrait of an unidentified man belongs to Van Gogh's intensive period of figure painting during his voluntary confinement. Unable to venture freely into the town, he often painted the asylum staff and patients he encountered daily. The identity of this particular sitter has not been firmly established. The portrait reflects Van Gogh's continuing belief that figurative painting — depicting real human faces — was among the most important work an artist could do, even as his own health was failing.

The cool blue-green background contrasts with the warm tonality of the face, a device Van Gogh used repeatedly in Saint-Rémy to bring sitters forward. Broad, curving strokes animate the coat while finer marks describe facial structure.