Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat (section)

Look closely at those swirling brushstrokes, and you can almost feel the energy buzzing off the canvas. Vincent van Gogh painted this self-portrait in 1887 while living in Paris, where he had moved to be near his brother Theo. During this time he was soaking up new ideas from the Impressionists and Pointillists, artists who were experimenting with bright colors and tiny dabs of paint. You can see that influence here in the dashes of blue, orange, and green that seem to vibrate around his head.

Van Gogh painted dozens of self-portraits throughout his life, partly because he was too poor to pay for models and partly because he wanted to study the human face. He once joked that he was the easiest subject he could find. Notice how his eyes seem to lock onto yours, sharp and a little tired, framed by that distinctive red beard and grey felt hat. There is something honest and unguarded about the way he shows himself, no fancy backdrop or flattering pose, just a man and his paintbrush trying to understand who he was.