Image Essay #9

In class we were discussing the role of color in compositions. It was said that color not only enriches, it complicates the experience. When I think of color in painting, I think of Vincent Van Gogh. This is a self portrait from 1887, and his style is definitely evident here. There seem to be lots of earth tones in this work. There is a hint of blue and orange in Van Gogh's beard which seem to be split complimentary colors.

Van Gogh was born in 1853 and was a Dutch painter. He is generally classified as a Post-Impressionist painter. His paintings are some of the best known and popular works in history. The part that I found interesting about Van Gogh, though, is that he is the classic example of the "tortured genius" - he suffered from some type of mental illness. During one especially violent episode, he cut off part of his own ear. Another interesting tidbit about Van Gogh is that he did not “officially” become an artist until 1880 when he was 27 years old. All of his works, then, were produced in the last ten years of his life. Van Gogh's mastery of color and of the self portrait make his legacy relevant in today's world of art.