Self-Portrait with Straw Hat 1887

This is Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Straw Hat, painted in the late 1880s using oil on canvas. Van Gogh’s intense application of paint is the key to understanding his work. Notice the thick impasto, built up through repeated strokes. These marks weren’t just about rendering what he saw; they were about the physical act of painting itself. The straw hat, for instance, isn’t just depicted, it's constructed from dynamic, textured brushstrokes. Van Gogh wasn't just recording an image, he was performing an action, almost like manual labor. This connects to his early life among working-class people. His art elevates the everyday to something monumental, and reminds us that all art is, in essence, a kind of skilled work. The painting bears witness to this process; it's a record of effort. So, next time you look at a painting, consider not just what is represented, but how it was made. The material and the making are where the real meaning lies.