Self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh

Van Gogh produced approximately forty self-portraits between 1885 and 1889, making him one of the most obsessive self-portraitists in Western art history. The impetus was partly practical — he was his own cheapest model — but the intensity of psychological inquiry goes far beyond economic necessity. The Saint-Rémy self-portraits, produced after the ear incident and his voluntary confinement, carry an added charge of self-examination. Van Gogh wrote that he was attempting to see himself 'as others see me' and used the mirror-image to practise colour characterisation of flesh under different light conditions. Each self-portrait represents a distinct chromatic and emotional experiment.

The background is typically rendered in swirling parallel strokes of blue or blue-green that create an ambient energy around the still, watchful face. Flesh tones are constructed from varied touches of green, orange, and yellow, building luminosity without conventional blending. The eyes are invariably rendered with exceptional care.