The Blue Dress
Currently on view
Kees van Dongen (1877 - 1968), Paris, before 1911
oil on canvas, 146.2 cm x 114.4 cm
Credits: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (purchased with support from the BankGiro Loterij), c/o Pictoright Amsterdam 2021
The Dutch painter Kees van Dongen married Augusta (Guus) Preitinger in 1901 and painted this almost life-sized painting ten years later. She gazes provocatively through her eyelashes, her hand placed nonchalantly on her hip.
Although this is a portrait of Van Dongen’s wife, it is her bright blue dress that steals the show. It contrasts strongly with Guus’s pale complexion and the red background, causing it to leap out of the canvas. Van Dongen painted the shadows on his wife’s arms and neck in bright green.
Working with areas of solid colour and bold contrasts is a typical feature of this artist’s work. The painting was directly inspired by Van Gogh’s bright colours and expressive brushwork.
- Object number
- s0493S1999
- Dimensions
- 146.2 cm x 114.4 cm, 161.0 cm x 129.4 cm
- artist
- Kees van Dongen
- Credits
- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (purchased with support from the BankGiro Loterij)
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Nederlanders in Parijs 1789-1914. Van Spaendonck, Jongkind, Van Gogh , Van Dongen, Mondriaan, 13 October 2017 - 7 January 2018
The Hague, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Herkomst: Ivo Bouwman, 16 February 2013 - 12 May 2013
Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, De grote ogen van Kees van Dongen, 18 September 2010 - 23 January 2011, no. 56
Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Kees van Dongen: Hoe ik er kwam - fauvisme, exotisme, epatisme, 18 September 2010 - 23 January 2011
Martigny, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Kees van Dongen, 25 January 2002 - 9 June 2002, no. 42
Paris, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Van Dongen, le peintre : 1877-1968, 22 March 1990 - 17 June 1990, no. zonder nr.
Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Kees van Dongen, 17 December 1989 - 11 February 1990, no. 27
Toulouse, Réfectoire des Jacobins, Kees Van Dongen 1877-1968, 1 October 1985 - 1 November 1985, no. 29
Saint-Tropez, Musée de l'Annonciade, Kees Van Dongen 1877-1968, 6 July 1985 - 30 September 1985, no. 29
Paris, Grand Palais, Hommage à Van Dongen, 31 October 1972 - 27 November 1972, no. 21
Marseille, Musée Cantini, Hommage à Van Dongen, 1 June 1969 - 1 September 1969, no. 35
Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Van Dongen, 8 December 1967 - 28 January 1968
Paris, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Van Dongen, 13 October 1967 - 26 November 1967, no. 63
Grafton Galleries, Second Post-Impressionist Exhibition, 5 October 1912 - 31 December 1912, no. 34
Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Oeuvres nouvelles de Van Dongen, 4 December 1911 - 16 December 1911, no. 18
Mayken Jonkman (red.); Maite van Dijk; Nienke Bakker ... [et al.], The Dutch in Paris 1789-1914, 2017, p. 221
[Frits Scholten], Gokken voor de kunst, p. 47-48
Anita Hopmans, De grote ogen van Kees van Dongen, 2010, p. 98, 123, 186
Mayken Jonkman (dir.d'ouvrage); Maite van Dijk; Nienke Bakker ... [et al.], Les Hollandais à Paris 1789-1914, 2017, p. 221
Avant-propos Charles Wentinck, Hommage à Van Dongen, 1969, [unpaged]
[medewerkers Van Gogh Museum], Inhoudelijk jaarverslag 1999 : stichting Van Gogh Museum, 2000, p. 3-4, 7, 10-11, 21
[red. Talitha Schoon,Jan van Adrichem, Hanneke de Man], Kees van Dongen, cop. 1990, p. 161
[Anita Hopmans], Kees van Dongen : de blauwe japon, p. 16-19
Nathalie Bondil, Jean-Michel Bouhours, Kees Van Dongen en Amérique du Nord : a Montreal Tribute, p. 211, 334
Roland Doschka ... [et al.], L'Eternel Feminin : from Renoir to Picasso, 1996, p. 35-39
Met een voorwoord door Henk van Os; Ronald de Leeuw, John Leighton, Frits Duparc, Evert van Straaten, Een lot uit de loterij : museale aanwinsten dankzij de Sponsor Loterij (1998-2004), 2004, p. 8-9, 23
Text: Esther Darley, Renske Suijver, Masterpieces in the Van Gogh Museum, 2019, p. 162
Tekst: Esther Darley, Renske Suijver, Meesterwerken in het Van Gogh Museum, 2019, p. 162
Mayken Jonkman (red.); Maite van Dijk; Nienke Bakker ... [et al.], Nederlanders in Parijs 1789-1914, 2017, p. 221
[John Leighton ... [et al.]], Nederlandse Sponsor Loterij : Jaarverslag 1999, 2000, p. 5, 22
Nieuwe aanwinst : spectaculaire aankoop, p. 11
Recent acquisitions by the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, p. 600-604
Van Dongen, [1967], [unpaged]
Jean Melas Kyriazi, Van Dongen et le fauvisme, 1971, p.112-114, 116-118, 147
[Préf. Suzanne Pagé, Van Dongen, le peintre : 1877-1968, 1990, p. 143-144
Roland Dorn, George S. Keyes, Joseph J. Rishel with Katherine Sachs ... [et al.] ; with a chronology by Katherine Sachs, Van Gogh face to face : the portraits, 2000, p. 233
John Leighton, Chris Stolwijk, Sjraar van Heugten, Van Gogh Museum : a decade of collecting : acquisitions 1997-2006, 2006, p. 40-41
Managing ed. Rachel Esner ; ed. Rachel Esner, Sjraar van Heugten, John Leighton ... [et al.] ; cat. authors Andreas Blühm, John Leighton, Benno Tempel ... [et al.], Van Gogh Museum Journal 1999, 1999, p. 134-135