Read Van Gogh

Author: Liu Zhigui
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2006-06-01
Features: This painting was created in September 1889. Around August, Van Gogh had another episode of illness in Saint-Rémy. This time, the illness was more severe than his previous one in Arles, and his recovery was also very slow. For six weeks, he did not leave his room, not even going into the garden. When he finally began to paint, he did so inside the room. In September, he wrote to Theo that he had painted two self-portraits. One was a pale and thin self-portrait holding a palette, and the other is Self-Portrait with Blue and Green Vortex Background. Van Gogh considered this self-portrait as a sign of his sanity and simultaneously hinted at his desire to regain confidence. When sending it to Theo, he said, "I hope you can see that my face is much calmer than before." He asked Theo to show it to Pissarro so that his friends could understand his current mental state. When he returned to the north, he took it back from Theo and brought it to Auvers. This self-portrait, with its purity and authenticity, possesses an irresistible charm. Against a harmonious background of cool tones—silver gray, silver green, and blue—the head of the figure resembles a burning flame. His gaze is determined, his face stern. However, the striking green of his face and the red of his beard and hair clash, expressing a suppressed passion. The cool, agitated background suggests the artist's own unstable state. His neat suit, vest, and shirt tied to his neck, as well as his seemingly composed and calm posture, also carry symbolic meaning. The painting features strong color contrasts, with strokes placed side by side and not blending, a new portrait technique invented by Van Gogh based on the inherent expressive power of color.
Wendy Beckett remarked: "This is the artist's true face: coarse red stubble, a melancholic mouth, and high-angled, sharp eyes. He is an individual struggling to survive amidst the swirling chaos of a blue world. His face may be strong enough, but his clothes, in the swirling, competing, and disintegrating lines, have lost themselves, revealing the perception of a person tormented spiritually and enduring suffering." She further analyzed the two self-portraits Van Gogh created in a month: "Both paintings are renowned for their calm and dignified depiction, as well as the portrayal of the artist, though facing difficulties, remaining resilient and steadfast. The masterful use of contrasting colors, sensitive rendering, and mature control of brushwork present the heart of an artist who has endured immense hardship but transcends the ordinary." (The Story of Painting)
Robert Hughes remarked: "In the self-portrait of 1889, the gaunt face gazes coldly from amidst the blue vortex background, elevating the self-examination of the self-portrait to a height not seen since Rembrandt." (The Shock of the New)
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