Skull 1887

This skull was painted by Vincent van Gogh in Paris, some time between 1887 and 1888. Van Gogh would have been studying at the Atelier Cormon. There, as in other French art academies of the time, drawing from anatomical casts and skeletons was common practice. But what is the public role of such an image? And what are the social conditions that shape its artistic production? We can understand this piece better when we consider that, at the time, many artists were breaking from academic tradition to address modern social realities. Van Gogh himself was interested in pushing the boundaries of art and using its power to challenge social norms. To interpret this work more fully, historians consult letters, biographies, and exhibition reviews, connecting art to its contingent social and institutional context. We study how institutions, like museums and academies, shape both the production and reception of art.