Young man with cap

Van Gogh's Young Man with Cap from 1888, painted at Arles, belongs to his series of character studies in the south — informal portraits of young working-class men he encountered in the city. The cap — practical headgear for laboring men — gives the sitter a social marker that Van Gogh was attentive to throughout his career, from the Nuenen peasant caps to the Arles working men. These quick portrait studies allowed him to maintain his practice of drawing and painting the human face outside the more formal portrait commissions he occasionally received. The work is currently unlocated or in private hands.

The young man is rendered with Van Gogh's direct portrait approach — the face observed without flattery or idealization, the cap establishing the sitter's social character. His Arles palette brings warm color to the face. Brushwork is confident and economical, capturing essential character without elaboration.