Self-Portrait with Felt Hat, 1887
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Oil on Pasteboard, 19 X 14 cm
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
(Vincent van Gogh Stichting)
F 296

Here we see the painter in an elegant suit and a gray felt hat. The painting is first and foremost a study in variations of gray: even the eyes, which are usually green, are a striking blue-gray. The red in the face and particularly in the bright red beard make the head stand out from the background.

It is possible that Van Gogh hoped to attract customers for a portrait by portraying himself as a fashionable Parisian