Jeune homme au bleuet 1890

Vincent van Gogh, working in the late 19th century, painted this work, entitled "Jeune homme au bleuet," using oil on canvas. Consider the concept of beauty: Who is allowed to be beautiful? Who gets to decide? Van Gogh often turned to the working class and those deemed 'unattractive' as subjects, challenging the academy's rigid standards. This young man, with his somewhat androgynous features, rosy cheeks, and a flower playfully held in his mouth, invites us to reconsider traditional notions of masculinity and beauty. The vibrant brushstrokes and colors create a sense of immediacy and raw emotion. In a letter to his brother Theo, Van Gogh wrote about wanting to paint portraits that had "something of the eternal" about them. Perhaps it was this very search for essence that led him to capture such intimate portrayals. This painting urges us to reflect on how we assign value and worth, asking us to see beauty in the unexpected.