🎨 Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear – Vincent van Gogh (1889)

A portrait of suffering and resilience

In this poignant painting, Vincent van Gogh depicts himself shortly after one of the most striking episodes of his life: the self-mutilation of his ear. With a closed expression and distant gaze, he is dressed in a thick coat and wearing a ushanka. The bandage covers his ear but does not hide the dignity of his expression. In the background, a Japanese print evokes his love for oriental art, a visual contrast with the icy calm of the scene. A masterpiece of controlled vulnerability.

Historical context: Arles, January 1889

Van Gogh painted this picture shortly after his December 1888 crisis, in Arles. Briefly institutionalized and then back home, he painted this portrait as an act of regaining control, a desire to reaffirm himself as an artist despite the turmoil. The work is not just a self-portrait: it is a testimony of lucidity, pain, and perseverance.

Visual analysis: controlled composition, contained emotion

The cool palette – greens, blues, whites – intensifies the feeling of solitude. The facial features are firm but troubled, and the Japanese-inspired background seems to offer a mental escape for the artist. The bluish door frame, the sharp lines of his coat, the carefully tied bandage: everything is structure and balance in the face of inner chaos. Van Gogh masters here the art of contrast between fragile interiority and controlled exterior.

Symbolic and emotional reading

This painting has become one of the most iconic self-portraits in the history of art, as it blends the intimate and the universal. Van Gogh seeks neither pity nor easy empathy. He shows himself as he is: wounded, but standing; fragile, yet still an artist. It is a work about silent courage, a hymn to the creative capacity even in pain.

🖌️ Hand-painted reproduction – By Alpha Reproduction

Faithful to the original, each reproduction is made in our workshops with care and expertise:

• Oil on canvas, according to 19th century techniques

• Hand painted by an artist trained in Van Gogh's expressive style

• Certificate of Authenticity included

• Customizable formats and frames, suitable for any type of space

Every detail is designed to convey the emotional power of the original painting.

🏡 Decoration idea: strength and introspection in your spaces

"Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear" is ideal for:

• A desk or a thinking studio

• A personal gallery, dedicated to portraits and self-portraits

• A modern interior, where it will create contrast and conversation

It is also a gift full of meaning for Van Gogh enthusiasts or those whom art helps to get through difficult times.

✨ Order an iconic and deeply human artwork

Treat yourself to a sincere, powerful, and moving work of art. Order your hand-painted reproduction of "Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear" – Vincent van Gogh, and let a story of pain transcended by beauty enter your home.