Vincent van Gogh hoped to one day become a figure painter. He did endless studies of heads and painted countless peasant men and women. We'd like to tell you more about this painting: Head of a woman.
Van Gogh enjoyed painting peasants and farm labourers in the area around Nuenen; they were happy to sit for him in return for payment. The painter was particularly interested in models with characteristic facial features. Lived-in faces represented the tough peasant life of that period.
Colourful canvas
Interestingly, the Head of a woman is a relatively colourful canvas. The painting is one of the few head studies in which Van Gogh chose a light, coloured background. The contours of her face really stand out, and her hair sticks out jauntily from her bonnet. Clearly, the unnamed woman with her striking face appealed to him; he made a number of portraits of her.
Ambition
Head of a woman is part of an important series of head studies that Van Gogh did to practise figure painting. The canvas illustrates a key aspect of his early artistic output: the desire to become a good figure painter. Everything he learned from painting so many faces, he went on to apply in his masterpiece: The Potato Eaters.
At the museum
Het Noordbrabants Museum acquired Vincent van Gogh's painting Head of a woman in 2020. The purchase is in keeping with the museum's aim of maintaining an overview of Van Gogh's oeuvre in Brabant in his native province.
Practical information
| Title |
Head of a woman
|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh |
| Date | Feb-March 1885 |
| Material | Oil on canvas |
| Size | 40,1 x 29,6 cm |
| Creditline | Acquired with support from the VriendenLoterij, Het Noordbrabants Museum Fund, Coen Teulings, John & Patricia Groenewoud, and the JK Art Foundation |
