Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat
Painting on panel • Vincent van Gogh
Style & Movement
Post-Impressionism with influences from Neo-Impressionism
Medium & Technique
Oil on cotton (originally mounted on pasteboard) using impasto, expressive brushwork, and pointillist-influenced color theory
Creation Period
1887 (Paris)
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 34.9 x 26.7 cm (13 3/4 x 10 1/2 in); vertical portrait format
Subject Description
A rigorous self-portrait of the artist wearing a yellow straw hat and a dark blue laborer's jacket. The composition is a bust-length profile against a background of rhythmic, multicolored dashes (halo-like effect). Key iconography includes the straw hat, which links Van Gogh to the persona of a rural laborer or common man.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent/Museum Quality; professionally stabilized and conserved
Estimated Market Value
$100,000,000 - $150,000,000 (estimation based on rarity and high demand for self-portraits)
Auction Estimate
$120,000,000+ if offered on the open market
Provenance History
Part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art permanent collection since 1967 (Bequest of Miss Adelaide Milton de Groot); previously in the collection of Vincent Willem van Gogh (the artist's nephew) and various private collections in the early 20th century.
Art Historical Significance
A pivotal work from Van Gogh's Paris period (1886-1888) where he transitioned from a dark, Dutch palette to a bright, experimental color scheme. This specific piece is one of over two dozen self-portraits painted during this time due to his inability to afford professional models.
Notable Features
Features a discarded work on the reverse side ('The Potato Peeler'), a testament to the artist's financial's hardship and thrift during his Paris years. The frame is a period-appropriate gilded carved wood frame.
Condition Issues
Historic color fading in certain purple/red pigments (eosin lake) resulting in a slightly more blue/gray appearance in background strokes than originally intended; some minor surface oxidation common in late 19th-century oils.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strictly controlled museum environments (20°C, 50% RH). Minimize UV exposure to prevent further pigment degradation. Protected behind museum-grade anti-reflective glass.