Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (obverse: The Potato Peeler)

Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (obverse: The Potato Peeler) by Vincent van Gogh is a significant oil on canvas painting created during the artist’s pivotal Paris period in 1887. This double-sided work, currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifies the intense experimentation Gogh undertook as he absorbed the color theories and techniques of Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism.

The self-portrait side captures the artist wearing a simple straw hat, utilizing a dense and directional application of paint, or impasto. Gogh employed vibrant, contrasting colors-particularly blues, greens, and yellows-to create a shimmering optical effect, a stark departure from the somber tonalities of his earlier Dutch works. This practice of painting self-portraits was crucial for the artist, serving as a constant subject for the exploration of color theory and rapid brushwork. The visual study of the subject, a working man committed to his craft, provides insight into the psychological intensity that characterizes Gogh’s later oeuvre.

The reverse of the canvas, which features the separate study The Potato Peeler, provides valuable insight into the artist’s efficient use of materials and his continued engagement with peasant subjects, even as he adopted modern Parisian styles. The dual purpose of the canvas highlights Gogh's industrious nature during this highly productive phase. The painting is a cornerstone of the European Paintings collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, illustrating the complex transitional period leading up to the masterworks produced in Arles. Given its importance, high-quality prints and reproductions of this iconic self-portrait remain widely sought after.