The famous painting, "Self Portrait", was painted by one of the world's greatest painters, Vicnent Van gogh. We all know about the infamous episode in which Van Gogh mutilated his ear after an argument with another painter, Paul gauguin. In 1889, he became a voluntary patient at an asylum where he continued to paint. His style of painting in unmistakable. He was able to use his colors very well and had very distinctive dashed brush strokes. .
Van Gogh's painting, it's last of his self potraits and one of his greatest, was painted only months before his death. It is also one my favorite pieces. The use of color in his artwork is magnificent. For example, he blended his blues very well with the rest of the other colors. In this painting, he used his recognizable technique of brushstrokes, but were more increasingly aggitated. Dashes turned into swirling, twisting shapes. The backgorund was done in a compulsive manner, and is for some to be considered to be done in a psychotic state. But the self image also shows control, perfectly capable of maintaining all elements of his work. The flowing form of the backgorund is unconfined by rhythm or pattern and are means of intensity, an overflow of the artist's feelings to his surroundings. although the background screams out, it seems pale next to the figure in the portrait. Yet the same rhythm occurs in the figure and even the head, which are painted in similar style, using coily, wavy lines. As we focus our attention from the man to his surroundings and back again, we get a better thought and idea. The background style or technique starts to resemble more the eyes and ear and button of the figure. We can still sense the firmness of the painter's hand. The contrast of the red beard and the surrounding blues and greens, the liveliness of his features, all these point to a superior mind. However, disturbed, it show's the artist's true feelings.
