Portrait of a man with a mustache

Van Gogh's 1887 portrait of a man with a mustache from his Paris period belongs to the series of character studies he made of various individuals encountered in the bohemian world of Montmartre cafés and studios. These informal portraits were made in the same spirit as his Nuenen peasant studies — direct observation of specific individuals — but now in an urban, artistic milieu quite different from the Dutch countryside. The Parisian models who sat for these works were often fellow artists, café habitués, or local characters whose faces interested him. The work is currently unlocated or in private hands.

The mustachioed man is rendered with Van Gogh's Paris period portrait technique — lighter palette than Nuenen, more varied brushwork reflecting his Impressionist evolution. The face receives careful observational attention. Background is simplified to focus on the sitter's character. The evolving pointillist influence may be visible in the treatment of some passages.