Portrait of Vincent van Gogh 1887

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec captured this pastel portrait of Vincent van Gogh in Paris, a city that, at the time, was seeing an increasing number of artists finding new ways to practice their craft outside of the traditional Salon system. The image shows Van Gogh sitting at a table in a cafe, lost in thought. Lautrec and Van Gogh were both part of a community of artists working in Montmartre in the late 1880s, a time of great social and artistic change. Both artists found inspiration in the everyday life of the city, including the entertainment and nightlife that was beginning to flourish at the time. The cafe setting in the portrait is particularly significant, highlighting a space where artists, writers, and intellectuals gathered to exchange ideas and challenge social norms. By studying the dynamics of the art world in Paris at this time, including exhibition venues, art criticism, and patronage networks, we can better understand the cultural forces that shaped the work of both Lautrec and Van Gogh.