Vincent van Gogh's Self-portraits
Vincent van Gogh is one of the most influential artists in the history of Western art.
He was born on March 30, 1853 and lived a short life of thirty-seven years.
Although he started to paint at the age of 27, he left numbers of magnificent artworks.
However, he was not recognized as a successful artist while he was alive.
During his lifetime, he struggled with poverty.
Because he couldn’t afford to pay for models, he often painted himself reflected in his mirror.
He created more than 40 self-portraits for ten years.
One of his famous artworks is called “Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear.”
In this artwork, van Gogh depicted himself wearing a bandage around his left ear.
In spite of the serious ear injury, his facial expression is still and unemotional.
His self-portraits show not merely the changes in his painting techniques, but also his emotional states of the times.
Certainly, you will encounter some of van Gogh’s self-portraits.
When you come across one of the paintings, try to figure out his feeling hidden behind his distinctive brushstroke.
