Van Gogh painted very few nudes, partially because he rarely had enough money for hiring models. This work presents the female body with a curious mixture of allure and revulsion. Curvy hips and closed eyes are traditional signs of sensuality, but the exposed body hair and coarse facial features certainly challenge 19th-century conventions of beauty.


Vincent van Gogh
Painting, Oil on Canvas
Paris: early year, 1887
The Barnes Foundation
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, North America
F: 330, JH: 1214

Overall (oval): 23 1/2 x 29 in. (59.7 x 73.7 cm)