January 10, 2014

Nose, Nose, No!

 

"The next time I write I’ll send you my portrait; I had it taken last Sunday". 
Letter from Theo to Vincent, January 1873. Letter # 3 of the Letters of Vincent Van Gogh*  

 
Notice the nose. This studio portrait of Vincent Van Gogh
was taken by the photographer J.M.W de Louw in January of 1873.

 
Notice the nose. This is a photo of Vincent when he was about 13


 
Notice the nose. This is the photo that Joseph Buberger
promotes as being Van Gogh
despite the fact that it was taken in Quebec, Canada
 
 
Notice the nose. This self-portrait, painted in Paris early 1888
was, according to Van Gogh's sister-in-law Jo Bonger
"of all his self-portraits, the one with the most likeness"
Denvir, Bernard, Vincent, A Complete Portrait, Running Press, Philadelphia, 1994
 
 
One of these things is not like the other. The real photos of Van Gogh and the accurate self-portrait show Van Gogh with a soft nose with a slightly bulbous tip. The mystery man in the Buberger portrait has a sharp nose and more angular nostrils. Just more evidence that the Victor Morin studio portrait is not Vincent Van Gogh. 
 
 
 *http://vangoghletters.org/vg/letters/let003/letter.html 


3 comments:

  1. Because van Gogh could not relate to any other human being on earth, except perhaps his brother, I assumed he had always been really ugly and lacking in confidence. But your photo of the 13 year old van Gogh is absolutely normal and even attractive.

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  2. Cool post! (and so glad it's "note the nose" and not "note the ear".)

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  3. I do believe you are correct.

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