Van Gogh Self-Portrait: Actually Theo?

Though more than a century has passed since Van Gogh’s death, his paintings are still a source of mystery in the art community.

In numerous Van Gogh self-portraits, we see a man with auburn colored hair, long pointy ears and a messy beard.

Now art researchers in Amsterdam believe a painting previously thought to be a self-portrait may in fact be a portrait of Van Gogh’s brother Theo. The Van Gogh museum researchers hypothesize that the circular shape of the subject’s ears and his light colored beard hint that they might belong to Theo.

For years, researchers have wondered why no portraits existed of Van Gogh’s younger brother, as they were very close. Theo served as Van Gogh’s lifelong confidant and supporter. Both an emotional and financial backer, Theo was often the only person Van Gogh felt he could turn to in times of need. The painting is believed to have been created in 1887, when the pair was living in Paris together.

Though we may never really know who the subject of the painting is, all signs point to Theo.
The Jean Outland Chrysler library contains several fascinating books about Van Gogh and his relationship with Theo. One contains some of the 800 letters the brothers traded after Van Gogh moved away from Paris.

Another fascinating item found on the JOCL shelves is the transcripts of the 1932 Van Gogh case. Translated from Dutch, the court proceedings detail the case against German art dealer Otto Wacker. Accused of forgery of documents and fraud, Wacker was ultimately sentenced to 19 months in jail and fined DM30.000.

The fake Van Gogh paintings are the subject of “Les Faux Van Gogh,” another book in our collection. It showcases the similarities between the original paintings and the fakes. As a layman, I would never have suspected that the fakes were not the real thing!

These fascinating books give just a glimpse into the fascinating life of Van Gogh. To find out more, come visit us here at the JOCL!

 - C.D.