This self-portrait is the last ever self-portrait painted by Vincent van Gogh before he died on the 29th July 1890 as a result of a self-inflicted bullet wound.
The first thing I notice when I look at the painting is the amount of blue used to create the background, the jacket and also the darker, shaded areas on van Gogh’s face. I think van Gogh did this for a few reasons,
- One reason could be to show the way that he felt while he was painting, which could of been sad or “blue”. This is a possibility as van Gogh was known for his sad lifestyle which would eventually lead to him mutilating his ear after an argument with the artist Paul Gaugin, becoming a voluntary patient at the St. Remy Mental Asylum and then finally, shooting himself in a suicide attempt and dying two days later.
- Another reason for the exaggerated use of blue could be down the fact that van Gogh wanted to make the reader feel as if it was cold or icy in the painting.
- One more reason could be to give the impression that van Gogh is standing outside and the blue is the sky in the background.
