À propos de l’œuvre
Tête de paysanne au bonnet noir, par Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh · December 1884 · Nuenen
Peasant head in black hat, F136aReproduction of oil painting on canvas
A peasant woman looks straight ahead under a large black cap. The face, squeezed between two very dark areas, receives a yellow light which accentuates the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose and the tired expression.
Look at the work
A frontal face appears between the dark cap and a lit panel
The cap extends almost from edge to edge above the head. It frames a narrow face, with very open eyes and a closed mouth, while the bust disappears into a black-brown garment.
The background is not uniform: a light strip rises on the left side of the documentary reproduction, then a red-brown area and a black area divide the rest. This contrast places the head in the foreground without academic modeling.
Peasant's head with black cap F136a/JH548 is an oil on canvas mounted on a 35 × 26 cm panel, painted in Nuenen in December 1884 and kept in a private collection.
Composition, touch and color
Three observations specific to this painting
Van Gogh reduces the portrait to a few vigorous relationships: black of the cap, brown of the garment, ocher of the face and vertical clarity of the background.
The cap acts as a horizontal mass
Its width compresses the top of the composition and makes the face narrower. Irregular edges remain visible instead of being carefully drawn.
The face is constructed by plans
Yellows, browns and blacks juxtapose on the forehead, nose and cheeks. The touches do not seek a smooth complexion but a firm structure.
The background divides the canvas into strips
The light on the left, the red brown in the center and the black on the right give the portrait a rudimentary but very expressive depth.
Documented benchmarks
Precisely identify the original work
The references F136a/JH548, the format of 35 × 26 cm and the dating of December 1884 precisely distinguish this study from the numerous peasant heads of Nuenen.
A study among painted heads in Nuenen
During the winter of 1884 -1885, Van Gogh painted numerous peasant models from the front or in profile in order to study their features, their headdresses and their work clothes.
A laboratory for its major peasant scenes
These small portraits allow him to search for types, expressions and a dark palette before the more ambitious compositions of 1885.
Canvas now mounted on panel
The fact sheet describes an oil on canvas mounted on wood, a device which stabilizes the small vertical format of the study.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
The copy must preserve the width of the black cap, the frontal gaze, the yellow and brown planes of the face, the bust almost absorbed by the shadow and the contrasting bands of the background.
- The black hat is very wide and low
- Both eyes directed towards the viewer
- The yellow bridge of the nose
- Mouth closed and slightly asymmetrical
- The clear vertical band of the bottom
Work sheet
| Title | Peasant head in black hat, F136a |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) |
| Date | December 1884 |
| Place of creation | Nuenen |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas mounted on panel |
| Dimensions | 35 × 26 cm |
| Inventory | F136a· JH548 |
| Conservation | Private collection |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
From order to shipping
In your interior
An austere portrait of black, ocher and red-brown
Black, tobacco brown, earth red, yellow ocher and cream give a sober presence to an office, a library or a wall composition 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 best available documentary reproduction was kept at 1194 × 1710 px then converted into a 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.
