The Stories Hidden Behind the Self-Portraits

Upon entering the museum, visitors are greeted by a striking display of twelve self-portraits. Van Gogh created many self-portraits, using himself as a model to practice his depiction of color and facial expressions. Three self-portraits at the center of the space are each placed on a glass stand, allowing them to be viewed from both the front and back. Many visitors discover here that, in fact, each of these self-portraits has a different painting on its reverse side. In those days, Van Gogh, facing financial hardship, would reuse canvases of paintings he was unsatisfied with, rather than waste precious art supplies. Furthermore, painting self-portraits held a profound meaning for him. Van Gogh wrote, "When I am in front of my easel, painting my own portrait, I finally feel that I am alive."

ART FILE 34 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Van Gogh Museum

A Visit to the Reimagined Van Gogh Museum (Part 2)

Van Gogh's Life Revealed Through His Letters

Van Gogh was also a gifted writer. Throughout his life, he penned approximately 820 letters, most of which were sent to his brother Theo, his confidant. On the second floor of the museum, visitors can find the actual letters alongside an audio guide that plays recordings of their contents. Van Gogh poured his innermost feelings—about his struggles, life and death, love—into his words. These extensive letters serve as a precious source for deeply understanding his state of mind as an artist and as an individual. In addition, about half of Van Gogh's approximately 1,100 designs and sketches are displayed at the museum.

The top floor showcases works primarily from Van Gogh's later years (1889-1890). In 1888, Van Gogh was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Despite his struggles with mental illness, Van Gogh immersed himself in painting during his stay, leading to the evolution of his unique style. This floor features many of his representative works from that period, such as "Irises" (1889) and "Almond Blossom" (1890).

Van Gogh's work has had a profound influence on subsequent artists. One such artist is the British painter Francis Bacon. His monumental work, "Study after Van Gogh," has been on display at the Van Gogh Museum since last November. Francis Bacon created this piece as a reinterpretation of Van Gogh's "The Painter on the Road to Tarascon," a work lost during World War II. Furthermore, the museum's interior walls, previously uniformly white, have been repainted in different colors on each floor following the renovation, reflecting the themes of the artworks exhibited there.