Self-Portrait with Glass
Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), Paris, January 1887
oil on canvas,
61.1 cm x 50.2 cm
Credits (obliged to state): Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)
In this picture, Van Gogh portrays himself sitting with a well-filled glass (of wine?) to hand. Is he in a bar? He was a habitué of Parisian cafés. Looking back, he even described himself as a problem drinker.
He regularly produced self-portraits, especially during his period in Paris. To save money, he often painted them over earlier works, as he has done here. Research has revealed a semi-nude woman under his pipe-smoking self-portrait.