À propos de l’œuvre
Une liseuse de romans, par Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh · November 1888 · Arles
A novel e-reader, F497Reproduction of oil painting on canvas
A woman leaning over a yellow novel reads in front of red and green shelves; its dark profile, its turquoise bodice and the large burgundy armchair compose a vision of memory more than a scene observed from life.
Look at the work
Modern reading painted from memory
The e-reader occupies a wide diagonal, from the inclined head to the open book. The red-brown armchair and the turquoise green dress form two rounded masses in front of the yellow bookcase.
The face remains almost in shadow as the book receives bright light. Dark contours isolate each area and transform the interior into a collection of bold colors.
Under the influence of discussions with Gauguin, Van Gogh painted this composition entirely "headed", that is to say from imagination and memory. The subject remains deeply personal: he considered the naturalist novel as a modern way of understanding life.
Composition, touch and color
Three observations specific to this painting
Painted in Arles in November 1888, this oil on canvas measures 73 × 92.1 cm and bears the references F497/JH1632.
The book as a luminous focus
The intense yellow of the open pages immediately catches the eye. The dark, inclined head in turn directs the gaze towards this narrative center.
Partitioned shapes
Wide contours separate dress, armchair, arms and bookcase. This simplification brings the canvas closer to the synthetic research carried out with Gauguin.
A reconstructed interior
Perspective and proportions do not seek photographic accuracy. Rather, they serve a condensed memory of the woman, the armchair and the shelves.
Documented benchmarks
Precisely identify the original work
Christie's notice links the work to the debates between Van Gogh and Gauguin on painting from nature or imagination, as well as to the artist's literary passion.
A painting made "from the head"
Van Gogh composed the painting without a model directly in front of him, a practice which he adopted occasionally in mid-November 1888 through contact with Gauguin.
The novel as a modern subject
An avid reader of Zola, Goncourt, Maupassant and other contemporary authors, Van Gogh attributes to the book a real moral and social significance.
A large horizontal canvas
With its 73 × 92.1 cm, the work gives an unusual breadth to a silent and solitary moment of reading.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
The copy must preserve the contrast between the yellow book and the dark face, the turquoise and burgundy masses, as well as the deliberately simplified perspective of the library.
- The open yellow novel
- The inclined dark profile
- The turquoise green bodice
- The burgundy red armchair
- Red book shelves
Work sheet
| Title | A novel e-reader, F497 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) |
| Date | November 1888 |
| Place of creation | Arles |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 73 × 92.1 cm |
| Inventory | F497· JH1632 |
| Conservation | Private collection |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
From order to shipping
In your interior
A reading scene with deep colors
The horizontal format is suitable for a bookcase, office or living room. Turquoise, burgundy, saffron yellow and dark green go particularly well with walnut and leather.
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 public domain documentary image measures 2,216 × 1,771 px; it was encoded in these dimensions in real WebP, without artificial enlargement.
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.
