self portrait with a bandaged ear ii vincent van gogh

self portrait with a bandaged ear ii vincent van goghIn 1889, Vincent Van Gogh, a notorious protagonist of Post Impressionism, painted a new self portrait, the one with the bandaged ear. The painting, which falls into the portrait genre, is a poignant testimony to his personal struggle with his inner demons. At the heart of the work, the artist appears, his face marked by the ordeal, his intense gaze turned towards the viewer. Her head is wrapped in a bandage, recalling her act of self mutilation. The

symbols and colors that make up the background visibly reference a variety of sources

Kandinsky presents a multitude of circles of different sizes and colours

several women with diaphanous skin and long wavy hair are revealed

an ephemeral moment frozen in time by Vermeer's brush

The link between the poem and the scene is subtle

evoking nymphs or mermaids

Van Gogh's expressive style shines through

a sandbank at the mouth of the Thames

Paul Signac particularly enjoyed exploring the seashores and ports of the Mediterranean coast

reinforcing the intimacy of the moment captured

The details

Even in the absence of human subjects