This self-portrait is the last ever self-portrait painted by Vincent

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.

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.

I can tell that van Gogh is not at a happy time in his life as his

expression is gloomy and miserable. I think that the odd swirls in the

background could be seen as symbolic of his mental state at the time.

Whilst van ...