À propos de l’œuvre
Grue avec cigarette allumée, par Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh · Winter 1885 -1886 · Antwerp, Belgium
Skeleton skull with lit cigarette, F212Reproduction of oil painting on canvas
A skeleton seen in bust turns its skull to the right and squeezes a lit cigarette between its teeth. The macabre joke is contained in a small vertical format where the ivory of the bones contrasts with a black background.
Look at the work
An anatomy exercise transformed into an irreverent image
The skull is presented in three quarters. The black orbit, nasal opening and jaw are defined by clear oppositions, while the vertebrae and clavicles fill the lower part.
The cigarette goes diagonally from the teeth and ends in a tiny red dot. A trail of gray smoke disappears at the bottom, the only moving element of this immobile anatomy.
Skeleton skull with lit cigarette F212/JH999 is an oil on canvas of 32 × 24.5 cm probably painted in Antwerp during the winter of 1885 -1886. It is kept at the Van Gogh Museum under number s0083V1962.
Composition, touch and color
Three observations specific to this painting
Van Gogh combines traditional bone study with absurd, contemporary detail. The thick material makes the bones almost sculptural, while the cigarette introduces humor, movement and color.
The skull is constructed by facets
Cream, ocher and gray-green touches follow the curvature of the forehead and jaws. They give volume without seeking the cold precision of a medical board.
Black becomes an active form
The bottom extends into the eye sockets, nostrils and intervals between bones. These blacks cut out the skeleton as much as the light keys describe it.
Cigarettes break academic seriousness
Its diagonal crosses the teeth and ends in an incandescent point. This tiny accessory gives the skeleton an almost familiar attitude.
Documented benchmarks
Precisely identify the original work
The museum cannot date the painting to the nearest day, but the references F212/JH999 and the stay in Antwerp allow it to be placed back in the winter of 1885 -1886.
The context of anatomical studies
In Antwerp, Van Gogh took classes where students studied plasters and skeletons before the live model. Painting is often understood as a humorous response to this teaching.
Workshop humor or modern vanity
The cigarette sparked several readings: student joke, commentary on the academy or variation on vanity. No text by Van Gogh establishes a single meaning.
Inventory s0083V1962
The painting belongs to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation and is kept at the Van Gogh Museum. Its reasoned references are F212 and JH999.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Reproduction must preserve the three-quarter profile, the large ivory touches, the deep blacks of the sockets, the inclined cigarette and its incandescent red dot.
- Facets of the forehead and temple
- Black orbit left
- Teeth clenched on the cigarette
- The red dot of the embers
- The vertebrae and clavicles of the bust
Work sheet
| Title | Skeleton skull with lit cigarette, F212 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) |
| Date | Winter 1885 -1886 |
| Place of creation | Antwerp, Belgium |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 32 × 24.5 cm |
| Inventory | F212· JH999· s0083V1962 |
| Conservation | Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
From order to shipping
In your interior
A biting icon in ivory, black and gray green
This small vertical format is suitable for a desk, library, cabinet of curiosities or contemporary wall. Its graphic contrast works just as well alone as in a set of portraits.
Frequently asked questions
Before ordering
Is this a canvas print?
No. Each reproduction is manually painted in oil on canvas. Brushstrokes and material variations belong to the final result.
How is the visual reference chosen?
The Van Gogh Museum reference of 5,470 × 7,256 px has been reduced to 2,262 × 3,000 px and converted to true high definition WebP.
Can I check the result before shipping?
Yes. Photographs of the finished painting are sent to you; you can request alterations before validating the shipment.
Are custom formats possible?
Yes. The format can be adapted to your wall while maintaining the proportions and balance of the original composition.
