Post by hi224 on Mar 4, 2021 15:55:14 GMT
Van Gogh Brothers & the Painting:
Vincent van Gogh was the oldest son (barring one who died in infancy), but it was Theo who was considered the ‘man of the family.’ After their father’s early death, it was Theo—a respected art dealer who exhibited the likes of Monet, Cezanne, and Gaugin—that held the family together. Theo supported the troubled, transient Vincent for most of his adult life, giving him money and almost unconditional support. From 1886 to 1888—when Vincent made his fateful move to Arles—the two lived together in Paris, during which time Vincent painted prolifically. Soon, both brothers were dead, tragically young, Vincent from suspected suicide and Theo likely from complications of syphilis.
But among these Paris paintings were two portraits, both from some time in 1887. Because of their similar size and style, most assume they are a pair. And most assume the two men are Vincent and Theo van Gogh. It is reasonable to think, as many have, that the one in the straw hat is Vincent and the one in the felt hat is Theo; it would match their professions and the known dress of Vincent. Really, there should be no question as to who the portraits represent. But there is.
Basic Appearance:
Vincent and Theo were, obviously, brothers. By all accounts they were strikingly similar in appearance, differentiated mostly by their dress and manners. But there were differences:
Vincent: Vincent was careless with his personal appearance, bathing rarely and often wearing little more than rags, a constant source of embarrassment to his buttoned-down family. By his 20s, his teeth were rotten and falling out, and he had had most removed. But other than a few scattered descriptions of Vincent as “ugly” or “very ugly”—and one picture from when he was 19 (Vincent was a notorious hater of photographs, which he described as “frightful”)—most of what we know about his appearance comes from his numerous self portraits. Here, he’s usually shown with a thin face, long nose, light bluish or greenish eyes, and his signature reddish hair and beard. (note: I will add that another photograph may exist, but that it is highly disputed).
Theo: Theo was slighter than his brother (though likely around the same height), with thin features thinned further from illness, pale reddish hair, and light eyes, probably blue. Theo suffered from ill health for most of his life, much of it stemming from a continued battle with syphilis. Unlike Vincent, we have several photographs of the adult Theo. But, surprisingly for one who featured so heavily in Vincent’s life, no known portraits of Theo by Vincent exist other than the straw hat or felt hat portrait. This is particularly surprising considering how prolific Vincent’s Paris period—during which they lived together—was.
Why Vincent only painted a single (known) portrait of Theo, to whom he was closest in the world, is, in some ways, just as much of a mystery as the which is which in straw and felt hat portraits. Not to psychoanalyze too much, but I’ve always thought it might be because Vincent was so close to Theo; Vincent constantly second-guessed his own skill, and was accustomed to harsh criticism from friends and peers, including Theo. He also felt constant guilt over the financial drain he was to Theo and, later, Theo’s young family. Maybe he never felt worthy.
Identification:
Back to identification. Already there are problems; Vincent, unlike many other artists of his time, believed in painting impressions of people and moments rather than exact likenesses, once saying “Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I see before me, I make more arbitrary use of color to express myself more forcefully.” This, combined with his ever-evolving style, means that determining his exact appearance—and the exact appearance of his subjects—is difficult. These self-portraits, for example, are from the same month, as are these portraits.
There are several suggested solutions to this; Vincent was painted several times by other artists like John Peter Russell and Paul Gaugin, which, in conjunction with his numerous works, should provide a somewhat reliable impression. And we can compare the paintings to the known photographs of Theo and young Vincent.
But in terms of identifying the straw hat and felt hat portraits we, again, encounter problems; Theo and Vincent look alike. They look a lot alike. And there have already been several Vincent-and-Theo mix-ups. One photograph, discovered after WWII, was considered for decades to be a definitive portrait of Vincent, age 13, until it was found after extensive analysis and investigation to be of Theo.
Theories:
So, the debated paintings themselves. This presumed pair was painted in 1887, and show the van Gogh brothers in Vincent’s characteristic blue jacket and straw hat and the typical garb of a Parisian businessman. Both are oil on cardboard, and are about 19cm by 14cm. Again, it seems perfectly obvious that it’s Vincent in the straw hat and Theo in the felt one. But many scholars disagree. Why?
Points in Favor: the color and shape of straw-hat’s beard is more characteristic of Theo than of Vincent, less reddish and far more respectably trimmed than Vincent’s own untamed one and the comparatively less well-groomed one of felt-hat (Theo, remember, was a businessman who would have needed to appear polished at all times). The ear shape is also more reminiscent of Theo than of Vincent, as are the rest of the more narrow features.
So why the hat mix-up? Some experts believe that it might have been a joke of sorts, or a way to lampoon Vincent’s constant wear and depiction of his straw hat. Even if it wasn’t a prank, it wouldn’t be the first time he painted himself in a felt-hat; One portrait in the Rijksmuseum—and one that bears a strong resemblance to the felt hat portrait—also depicts him in a grayish felt hat, as do several others.
Points against: Others say that the exchanging-hats theory is far-fetched, and that Vincent too much respected Theo to draw him in Vincent’s rough attire. Many also feel that, despite the variance Vincent used in portraying his eye-color, the felt-hat’s eyes are too light to be his, and are much more characteristic of Theo, whose eyes have been described as “striking.” This is generally considered to be the strongest evidence against straw-hat being Theo.
Neither?: It has also been suggested that both portraits are of Vincent himself. Johanna, Theo’s widow, once claimed that Vincent had never painted a portrait of Theo. The accuracy of this is debated; it’s unknown whether this is something Vincent told her himself or an assumption she made based on her collection of Vincent’s works, compiled after the deaths of Vincent and Theo. Theo’s son Vincent Willem also agreed, echoing his mother in saying Vincent never painted his father.
Currently, the van Gogh Museum has titled the straw hat portrait “Self-portrait or Portrait of Theo van Gogh,” citing the uncertainty. While others have followed suit, some still disagree, with the Noordbrabants Museum displaying the felt hat portrait as “Portrait of Theo van Gogh.”
Final Thoughts & Questions:
Currently, most experts agree that we simply can’t determine which portrait depicts which brother; the evidence in either direction is far too scant. Any argument can be made as to the identity of the paintings’ subjects can often be just as easily countered, leaving experts back where they started.
If the straw-hat portrait is really of Theo, perhaps it’s fitting that one so overshadowed by his talented, tortured brother might have been overshadowed one final time. But without Theo, there would have been no Vincent (though without Theo’s wife Johanna there would have been no either of them; that’s another story). Tragically, any other potential Theo portraits might have been destroyed during WWII, when van Gogh paintings were labeled “degenerate art.” So,
Why did Vincent paint so few portraits of Theo?
Which of the portraits is of Vincent and which is of Theo?
I became interested in this after reading Vincent and Theo: the van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman. I didn’t care for the over-wrought style, but it’s a good cliff-notes version of their relationship if anyone wants a basic introduction, and it’s quite short.
Bibliography: (note: I’m ashamed by my lack of sources, but there wasn’t much to go off of, and most articles simply parrot the same information here)
Millinery mix up: scholar says Van Gogh Museum has mistaken hatted portraits of Theo and Vincent
Mistaken identity: new discovery means there is only one known photograph of Vincent van Gogh
Self-Portrait or Portrait of Theo?
EDIT: probably a bit late for this, but I just had a thought on the subject of eye color, which is the major sticking point in the case for felt-hat being Vincent: maybe it was painted in direct sunlight? The color palette for felt-hat is lighter than the one for straw-hat, and the face seems to be “shining” a bit more, so to speak, which might suggest they were painted at different times and under different lighting. And under brighter light, your eyes appear much lighter. This would be especially true for someone with light green or blue eyes, like both Vincent and Theo had. So, if that’s true, it could account for felt-hat’s eyes being too light to be Vincent.
Vincent van Gogh was the oldest son (barring one who died in infancy), but it was Theo who was considered the ‘man of the family.’ After their father’s early death, it was Theo—a respected art dealer who exhibited the likes of Monet, Cezanne, and Gaugin—that held the family together. Theo supported the troubled, transient Vincent for most of his adult life, giving him money and almost unconditional support. From 1886 to 1888—when Vincent made his fateful move to Arles—the two lived together in Paris, during which time Vincent painted prolifically. Soon, both brothers were dead, tragically young, Vincent from suspected suicide and Theo likely from complications of syphilis.
But among these Paris paintings were two portraits, both from some time in 1887. Because of their similar size and style, most assume they are a pair. And most assume the two men are Vincent and Theo van Gogh. It is reasonable to think, as many have, that the one in the straw hat is Vincent and the one in the felt hat is Theo; it would match their professions and the known dress of Vincent. Really, there should be no question as to who the portraits represent. But there is.
Basic Appearance:
Vincent and Theo were, obviously, brothers. By all accounts they were strikingly similar in appearance, differentiated mostly by their dress and manners. But there were differences:
Vincent: Vincent was careless with his personal appearance, bathing rarely and often wearing little more than rags, a constant source of embarrassment to his buttoned-down family. By his 20s, his teeth were rotten and falling out, and he had had most removed. But other than a few scattered descriptions of Vincent as “ugly” or “very ugly”—and one picture from when he was 19 (Vincent was a notorious hater of photographs, which he described as “frightful”)—most of what we know about his appearance comes from his numerous self portraits. Here, he’s usually shown with a thin face, long nose, light bluish or greenish eyes, and his signature reddish hair and beard. (note: I will add that another photograph may exist, but that it is highly disputed).
Theo: Theo was slighter than his brother (though likely around the same height), with thin features thinned further from illness, pale reddish hair, and light eyes, probably blue. Theo suffered from ill health for most of his life, much of it stemming from a continued battle with syphilis. Unlike Vincent, we have several photographs of the adult Theo. But, surprisingly for one who featured so heavily in Vincent’s life, no known portraits of Theo by Vincent exist other than the straw hat or felt hat portrait. This is particularly surprising considering how prolific Vincent’s Paris period—during which they lived together—was.
Why Vincent only painted a single (known) portrait of Theo, to whom he was closest in the world, is, in some ways, just as much of a mystery as the which is which in straw and felt hat portraits. Not to psychoanalyze too much, but I’ve always thought it might be because Vincent was so close to Theo; Vincent constantly second-guessed his own skill, and was accustomed to harsh criticism from friends and peers, including Theo. He also felt constant guilt over the financial drain he was to Theo and, later, Theo’s young family. Maybe he never felt worthy.
Identification:
Back to identification. Already there are problems; Vincent, unlike many other artists of his time, believed in painting impressions of people and moments rather than exact likenesses, once saying “Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I see before me, I make more arbitrary use of color to express myself more forcefully.” This, combined with his ever-evolving style, means that determining his exact appearance—and the exact appearance of his subjects—is difficult. These self-portraits, for example, are from the same month, as are these portraits.
There are several suggested solutions to this; Vincent was painted several times by other artists like John Peter Russell and Paul Gaugin, which, in conjunction with his numerous works, should provide a somewhat reliable impression. And we can compare the paintings to the known photographs of Theo and young Vincent.
But in terms of identifying the straw hat and felt hat portraits we, again, encounter problems; Theo and Vincent look alike. They look a lot alike. And there have already been several Vincent-and-Theo mix-ups. One photograph, discovered after WWII, was considered for decades to be a definitive portrait of Vincent, age 13, until it was found after extensive analysis and investigation to be of Theo.
Theories:
So, the debated paintings themselves. This presumed pair was painted in 1887, and show the van Gogh brothers in Vincent’s characteristic blue jacket and straw hat and the typical garb of a Parisian businessman. Both are oil on cardboard, and are about 19cm by 14cm. Again, it seems perfectly obvious that it’s Vincent in the straw hat and Theo in the felt one. But many scholars disagree. Why?
Points in Favor: the color and shape of straw-hat’s beard is more characteristic of Theo than of Vincent, less reddish and far more respectably trimmed than Vincent’s own untamed one and the comparatively less well-groomed one of felt-hat (Theo, remember, was a businessman who would have needed to appear polished at all times). The ear shape is also more reminiscent of Theo than of Vincent, as are the rest of the more narrow features.
So why the hat mix-up? Some experts believe that it might have been a joke of sorts, or a way to lampoon Vincent’s constant wear and depiction of his straw hat. Even if it wasn’t a prank, it wouldn’t be the first time he painted himself in a felt-hat; One portrait in the Rijksmuseum—and one that bears a strong resemblance to the felt hat portrait—also depicts him in a grayish felt hat, as do several others.
Points against: Others say that the exchanging-hats theory is far-fetched, and that Vincent too much respected Theo to draw him in Vincent’s rough attire. Many also feel that, despite the variance Vincent used in portraying his eye-color, the felt-hat’s eyes are too light to be his, and are much more characteristic of Theo, whose eyes have been described as “striking.” This is generally considered to be the strongest evidence against straw-hat being Theo.
Neither?: It has also been suggested that both portraits are of Vincent himself. Johanna, Theo’s widow, once claimed that Vincent had never painted a portrait of Theo. The accuracy of this is debated; it’s unknown whether this is something Vincent told her himself or an assumption she made based on her collection of Vincent’s works, compiled after the deaths of Vincent and Theo. Theo’s son Vincent Willem also agreed, echoing his mother in saying Vincent never painted his father.
Currently, the van Gogh Museum has titled the straw hat portrait “Self-portrait or Portrait of Theo van Gogh,” citing the uncertainty. While others have followed suit, some still disagree, with the Noordbrabants Museum displaying the felt hat portrait as “Portrait of Theo van Gogh.”
Final Thoughts & Questions:
Currently, most experts agree that we simply can’t determine which portrait depicts which brother; the evidence in either direction is far too scant. Any argument can be made as to the identity of the paintings’ subjects can often be just as easily countered, leaving experts back where they started.
If the straw-hat portrait is really of Theo, perhaps it’s fitting that one so overshadowed by his talented, tortured brother might have been overshadowed one final time. But without Theo, there would have been no Vincent (though without Theo’s wife Johanna there would have been no either of them; that’s another story). Tragically, any other potential Theo portraits might have been destroyed during WWII, when van Gogh paintings were labeled “degenerate art.” So,
Why did Vincent paint so few portraits of Theo?
Which of the portraits is of Vincent and which is of Theo?
I became interested in this after reading Vincent and Theo: the van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman. I didn’t care for the over-wrought style, but it’s a good cliff-notes version of their relationship if anyone wants a basic introduction, and it’s quite short.
Bibliography: (note: I’m ashamed by my lack of sources, but there wasn’t much to go off of, and most articles simply parrot the same information here)
Millinery mix up: scholar says Van Gogh Museum has mistaken hatted portraits of Theo and Vincent
Mistaken identity: new discovery means there is only one known photograph of Vincent van Gogh
Self-Portrait or Portrait of Theo?
EDIT: probably a bit late for this, but I just had a thought on the subject of eye color, which is the major sticking point in the case for felt-hat being Vincent: maybe it was painted in direct sunlight? The color palette for felt-hat is lighter than the one for straw-hat, and the face seems to be “shining” a bit more, so to speak, which might suggest they were painted at different times and under different lighting. And under brighter light, your eyes appear much lighter. This would be especially true for someone with light green or blue eyes, like both Vincent and Theo had. So, if that’s true, it could account for felt-hat’s eyes being too light to be Vincent.