Portrait of Vincent van Gogh
1925/1928
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 59.1 x 47.5 cm (23 1/4 x 18 11/16 in.) framed: 79.1 x 68.6 x 7.6 cm (31 1/8 x 27 x 3 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CF
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Chester Dale Collection
Accession Number
1963.10.153
Art Historical Context
This intriguing portrait depicts Vincent van Gogh, yet it was created not by the artist himself but by an unknown imitator between 1925 and 1928. Painted in oil on canvas—a medium Van Gogh favored for its rich texture and expressive potential—the work measures just over 23 by 18 inches. It captures the intense gaze and distinctive features long associated with the Dutch master, reflecting the powerful hold his image has held on the public imagination decades after his death in 1890. The painting’s creation during the 1920s coincides with a period when Van Gogh’s reputation was rapidly growing...