Self-Portrait without Beard by Vincent Van Gogh

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Being in our post of Legend of Vincent van Gogh, the Dutch artist’s this priciest portrait with a huge price tag of $ 71.5 million around 15 years before in 1998 was the third costliest painting of all the time and fourth if we consider the price-inflation. And it is still an impressive rank for a portrait.

Alongside with its enormous price-tag there are other facts which make this painting unique from the rest of the self-portraits by Vincent van Gogh which are totals more than 35. This self-portrait executed in 1889, was the last self-portrait by the artist. After that he majorly focused upon the cypresses and wheat fields. Moreover, this is the only painting depicting the artist without beard. As Van Gogh’s many last works has become popular among buyers, this portrait was also among his last works. Thus, the combination of the unique facts and feature may have made the portrait so in-demand in the community.

In all of his self-portraits, I find this particular one with more relaxed and sane manner. As we observe this portrait, the eyes seems with an attributive gaze while the light pink lips has smiley corners as if he found some kind of temporal calmness among his mental anguish. This is also the neatest portrayal of himself.

When other portraits have more strikingly strong colors, here there is no presence of strong colors instead to the every corner it contains the light colors. After observing the picture with some thought, a question rises that did he always stayed in anxiety or there was a little sojourn of peace before going totally mad.

Van gogh is admired today to an unprecedented level. Although, this portrait is not as much popular as his other works like The Starry Night, Starry night over the Rhone or Cafe Terrace at Night in general public, it is valued among the artistic circles.

Van Gogh gifted the portrait to his mother on her birthday. Overtime, the painting has changed many hands and right now is resting in a private collection.