New Van Gogh discoveries

This video is called The Power of Art – Van Gogh (complete episode).

Recently, there was a discovery that one “self-portrait” by Vincent van Gogh was not a self-portrait.

From Radio Netherlands Worldwide:

Van Gogh self-portrait depicts brother

Published on 21 June 2011 – 1:44pm

A picture painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1887, which was thought to be a self-portrait, has turned out instead to be a portrait of his brother Theo. The Amsterdam Van Gogh Museum announced the discovery after new research into 93 of Vincent’s works.

Although the two brothers looked similar, the museum points out that there were clear differences between them. The person in the painting has an ochre-coloured beard, and clean-shaven cheeks, and displays a handsome round ear, all of which point to Vincent’s brother Theo. The museum says photos of Theo correspond to the facial characteristics shown in the painting. Vincent’s bushy beard was reddish and covered his cheeks, and his ears were fleshy.

It had been thought that Vincent never painted a portrait of his brother, with whom he had a close relationship.

It was already known Vincent had made some sketches of Theo.

Theo supported his painter brother through thick and thin.

Other findings suggest that the title of the painting, Wheat field with a lark, is wrong; the bird shown is in fact a partridge. Other works assumed to have been painted in 1887 in Asnières near Paris depict scenes from the then recently-planted gardens of the Sacre Coeur basilica in the French capital.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is showing many of the works affected by the research. They can be seen until 18 September.