This is a creative writing/reading response piece. The paper is phrased from the point of view of an artist, after creating a self-portrait. The artist is Vincent Van Gogh, explaining the rationale of his color choices in a variety of self-portraits. The paper is structured as an imaginary exercise in journal writing, and is intentionally written in the first person.
Self-Portrait With Straw Hat
Journal by Vincent Van Gogh -- Self-portrait
So many artists have painted self-portraits. Self-portraiture requires the artist to turn his inner eye upon his raw soul. I paint myself as an observer of my physical qualities. But I am also in search of understanding myself. Why do I feel so alienated from the world, even from my friend Gauguin and my brother Theo? My quest to understand myself is never-ending. That is why I have painted myself so many times. This time I chose to paint my portrait with myself wearing a straw hat. I chose a brighter and lighter color scheme than I chose in my previous self-portraits of myself such as this one, Self-Portrait with Pipe and Glass.
The color arrangement of my most recent self-portrait highlights the darkness of my eyes in the midst of a sea of bright colors. Yes, it is summer now, which fills me with a sense of intensity more than happiness. That is why I chose an overall color palate of bright tones. The background is sunnier than my earlier, spring self-portrait. But my gaze is still not joyous, even in summer.
Self-Portrait
This portrait was created during a time of personal depression, and I was highly influenced by the pointillism of Seurat. In contrast, my present self-portrait makes use of swirling hues of hectic yellow -- this can be seen in the hat I am shown wearing as well. The color used to render my beard emphasizes the jaunty hues of my hat, in stark contrast to the tragic expression on my face. The overall impression I wish to create with my most recent self-portrait is one of the darkness staring out into the light. My emotions are still just as troubled as they were in the spring; the externalities of my appearance have been adjusted for the summer, yet my sensations brewing beneath have not changed, as can be seen by the darkness of my eyes.
In the spring portrait, the blueness of my eyes match the somber background; in summer my eyes are in contrast with the rest of the painting. The compositions are similar in terms of my positioning in the canvas; my expression and mood are similar, although the yellowness of the summer suggests greater activity. This mirroring is deliberate, so I may see the changes within myself from season to season. I also constructed the paintings with a similar profile view, with the same cheek turned to the gazer.
Of course, summertime has many moods as a season, and there may be different shades of light and darkness within the ebbs and flows of the summer season. This can be seen in the impressionistic background inspired by Monet in my following self-portrait, composed during this same summer.
Self-Portrait with Straw Hat
Like Monet encapsulated different visions of the same flowers or building, I have done the same with my face. In contrast to my most recent self-portrait the background behind my face in the above painting is hectic and nervous. The pastel swirls of the yellow in my hat and cloak seem to almost vibrate, while the most recent painting shows a kind of shimmering intensity.
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