À propos de l’œuvre
Tête de femme, par Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh · November 1884 - May 1885 · Nuenen
Head of an old peasant woman, F151Reproduction of oil painting on canvas
An old peasant woman appears in profile in a vast black field. The light hits his forehead, nose, cheekbone and the edge of his mouth; its dark hood almost blends in with the background and focuses all attention on the facial marks.
Look at the work
A bright profile barely stands out from the darkness
Van Gogh places his head in the upper half of the small format and leaves a large area of black-brown clothing under it. The model looks to the left, without theatrical pose, as if captured in a moment of silent concentration.
The forehead receives a series of light ocher touches; a yellow ridge runs along the nose and joins the lip. The cheeks, redder, are hollowed out by broad brown shadows which make you feel old and tired.
Head of an old peasant woman F151/JH649 is an oil on canvas mounted on a panel made in Nuenen between November 1884 and May 1885. The Kroeller-Müller Museum preserves it under number KM 104.790.
Composition, touch and color
Three observations specific to this painting
The paint is thin in dark parts and more nourished on facial highlights. This economy of means allows a few yellow, pink and green accents to build the expression.
The profile is drawn by a chain of lights
Front, nose, lip and chin form a discontinuous line of yellow ocher. It is enough to make the head legible despite the almost total absence of an external contour.
The cap belongs as much to the bottom as to the model
The deep blacks and greens of the headgear extend into the background. Only a few gray-green lines indicate its folds and volume.
The red touches give a restrained warmth to the face
Earth pink and red-brown appear on the cheek, temple and eye contour. They prevent yellow light from becoming uniform.
Documented benchmarks
Precisely identify the original work
The references F151/JH649, the mounted support and the KM 104.790 inventory precisely distinguish this study from the numerous peasant heads painted in Nuenen.
The portrait belongs to Nuenen's study campaign
Van Gogh painted numerous peasant heads during the winter of 1884-1885 in order to master the figures before more ambitious compositions.
Canvas is now fixed on a panel
The museum describes a fine and smooth canvas, worked thicker only in the highlights. Marouflage stabilizes this flexible support.
An unusual dark spot crosses the top of the head
The Kroeller-Müller Museum indicates that it does not correspond to the front lighting and could come from a lock first painted then partially removed.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
The copy should maintain the large dark reserve, the profile pointing to the left, the yellow highlights of the forehead and nose, the reds of the cheek and the gray-green folds of the hood.
- The line of light that descends from the forehead to the tip of the nose
- The eye placed in a black-brown shadow
- The earthy reds of the cheekbone and mouth
- The dark hood crossed by a few green lines
- The large black mass of clothing under the face
Work sheet
| Title | Head of an old peasant woman, F151 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) |
| Date | November 1884 - May 1885 |
| Place of creation | Nuenen |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas mounted on panel |
| Dimensions | 35.7 × 25.3 cm |
| Inventory | F151 · JH649 · KM 104,790 |
| Conservation | Kroeller-Müller Museum, Otterlo |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
From order to shipping
In your interior
An intimate portrait of ocher and rose in a black-brown night
Warm black, earth brown, yellow ocher, faded pink and deep green make up a sober presence for a library, an office or a portrait wall.
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 available image has been converted to a real WebP of 897 × 1,311 px, 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.
