plate no. 2173

Portrait of Vincent van Gogh

pastel, cardboardPost-Impressionismportraitportraitfiguremaninteriortableglass

what to study here

It shows how visible, unblended pastel strokes and warm-cool shadow can model a head and hold a clear value structure on bare cardboard.

Study how the painter separates the picture into three readable value zones. The face carries the lightest values, with creams and yellows on the brow and cheekbone and cool purple shadow on the far side of the face and temple. The clothing sits in the middle in warm reds and oranges, with cool shadows layered through it so it does not go flat. The darkest purples and blues sit in the recessed background behind the head. Squint and the three zones hold. Look next at the pastel handling. The strokes are layered and scumbled, not blended, and follow the anatomy: directional marks on the cheekbone and jaw. The background uses looser parallel and cross-hatched marks that suggest windows and framed spaces without describing them. The profile is cut crisply against that background, while the neck and clothing soften where they meet the table. The pastel sits on the cardboard with its tooth intact, so the support is part of the surface. Copy the warm-against-cool shadow logic before you copy anything else.

key decision

The painter modeled the face with cool purple shadows against warm cream and yellow light, and left the strokes visible instead of blending. This keeps the head the brightest, most dimensional area against a busy, darker background.

recreation guide

This artwork is an 1887 chalk pastel on cardboard by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, depicting his contemporary Vincent van Gogh (Source 1). The piece is characterized by a brightly colored Impressionist palette, dominated by blues, oranges, and yellows (Source 1). It captures Van Gogh in profile from the right, leaning forward at a table in a bar setting, likely the Café du Tambourin, with a glass of absinthe (Source 1). The work reflects the artists' shared time at Fernand Cormon’s studio in Paris (Source 1). As a pastel work, it relies on the mechanical adhesion of powdered pigment to a rough surface rather than a liquid binder, requiring specific handling to maintain the integrity of the dry medium (Source 2).

estimated time

15-25 hours over 4-6 sessions

materials

4 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Chalk pastels (soft)	Primary medium for color application; provides opacity and texture.	Soft pastel sticks (e.g., Sennelier, Holbein)
Cardboard	Support surface; must have a rough natural surface or be prepared with pumice to hold the dry pigment mechanically (Source 2).	Heavyweight pastel paper or sanded cardboard
Fixative (optional/cautious use)	To stabilize layers if necessary, though traditional pastel relies on mechanical adhesion (Source 2).	Workable fixative spray
Blending stump or tortillon	To soften transitions between colors without smearing the dry powder excessively.	Paper blending stump

preparation

surface prep

The support must be prepared to ensure mechanical adhesion of the dry pigment. According to historical technique, the surface should have a rough natural texture or be treated with a layer of pumice stone to create a 'tooth' that holds the powder (Source 2). Since the original is on cardboard, ensure the cardboard is rigid and primed with a neutral ground if it is too smooth, or use a pre-sanded pastel board.

underdrawing

Sources do not explicitly describe Toulouse-Lautrec’s underdrawing method for this specific portrait. However, given the medium is pastel, a light sketch in charcoal or a soft pastel pencil is likely to establish the profile and proportions before applying color. Avoid heavy graphite which may interfere with pastel adhesion.

underpainting

Not applicable in the traditional oil sense. In pastel, the 'underpainting' is achieved by laying down the initial masses of color directly. The artist likely began with the dominant background tones (blues, oranges, yellows) to establish the Impressionist atmosphere (Source 1).

color palette

Blue

Ultramarine or Cobalt Blue pastel

Dominant background and clothing tones, consistent with the 'mainly blues' description (Source 1).

Orange

Yellow Ochre mixed with Cadmium Orange

Warm accents, likely representing the absinthe glass or café lighting (Source 1).

Yellow

Lemon Yellow or Cadmium Yellow

Highlights and warm ambient light, part of the 'brightly coloured' palette (Source 1).

Neutral Grays/Browns

Complementary mixes (e.g., red/green or blue/orange)

Shadows and mid-tones. Avoid pure black; use complementary colors to darken hues without shifting them undesirably (Source 4).

composition

The composition features Van Gogh in profile from the right, leaning forward at a table (Source 1). He is depicted with a glass of absinthe, suggesting a conversation or moment of pause (Source 1). The setting is implied to be the Café du Tambourin (Source 1). The artist characteristically used bold, flat areas of color to define form rather than detailed modeling, consistent with his Post-Impressionist style (Source 1).

step by step

underdrawing→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Lightly sketch the profile of Van Gogh facing right, leaning forward. Mark the position of the table and the glass.
Tip — Keep lines light to avoid interfering with pastel adhesion.
Proportional sketching

first pass

step 02
Apply the dominant background colors (blues, oranges, yellows) in broad strokes. Establish the 'brightly coloured Impressionist' atmosphere (Source 1).
Tip — Work from general masses to specific details. Do not over-blend initially.
Direct color application

refining

step 03
Layer complementary colors to create shadows and depth. For example, use purplish-red to darken yellowish-green areas without shifting hue (Source 4).
Tip — Avoid adding black to warm colors like yellow/orange, as it can cause unwanted hue shifts toward green/blue (Source 4).
Complementary darkening
step 04
Define the figure of Van Gogh using contrasting tones. Ensure the profile is distinct against the background. Use the roughness of the cardboard to hold the pigment (Source 2).
Tip — Press harder for darker, more saturated areas; use lighter touches for highlights.
Mechanical adhesion

finishing

step 05
Add final highlights to the glass of absinthe and facial features. Check for color harmony, ensuring the 'simultaneous contrast' of adjacent colors enhances the visual impact (Source 7).
Tip — Be aware that adjacent colors will influence each other's perceived hue (Source 7).
Simultaneous contrast

critical techniques

Mechanical Adhesion of Pastel

Pastel pigments are ground with minimal medium (water/clay) and applied as powder. They adhere to the support via mechanical means, requiring a rough surface (Source 2).

Complementary Color Mixing

To darken colors without shifting hue, use complementary colors rather than black. For instance, adding purplish-red to yellowish-green (Source 4).

Simultaneous Contrast

Awareness that adjacent colors influence each other's appearance. The painter must account for this to achieve true color harmony (Source 7).

common pitfalls

→Adding black to warm colors (yellows, oranges) can cause undesirable hue shifts toward green or blue (Source 4).
→Using a smooth surface without tooth will cause the pastel powder to fall off, as it relies on mechanical adhesion (Source 2).
→Over-blending can muddy the colors and reduce the vibrant, Impressionist quality of the work (Source 1).
→Ignoring simultaneous contrast may lead to colors appearing duller or shifted than intended (Source 7).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific brushwork or pastel stroke direction is not detailed in the sources.
·The exact ratio of blues, oranges, and yellows is not quantified.
·Toulouse-Lautrec's specific preparatory sketching technique for this portrait is not documented in the provided sources.
·The specific brand or type of cardboard used in 1887 is not specified.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER XII. CRAYONS, DISTEMPERING, EGG-PAINTING, WATER — applied to Pastel technique, mechanical adhesion, and surface preparation.
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Simultaneous contrast and color harmony principles.

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Portrait of Vincent van Gogh (1887)↗
- part 1 — applied to Composition, palette, subject matter, and medium details.
Wikipedia: Color theory↗
- part 6 — applied to Color mixing, avoiding black for darkening, and complementary color use.

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

Van Gogh sits in three-quarter profile facing left, his pale face glowing against a darker background of interior elements—windows and framed spaces visible behind his head. Light strikes the left side of his profile, illuminating the forehead and cheekbone in bright creams and yellows while cool purple shadows model the right side of the face and temple. His torso dominates the lower half in deep reds and oranges, anchored to a table or surface below. The background pulses with complementary blues, purples, and ochres, creating visual energy that makes the figure advance forward.

value structure

The lightest values concentrate on the face, especially the brow and cheekbone, reading as a bright focal point. Mid-values occupy the clothing in warm reds and oranges, which wrap around the form. Darkest values recede in the background—deep purples and dark blues create shadow, particularly in the recessed interior areas behind the head. This three-tier value scheme is immediately readable: squint and you see a bright face, warm body, and dark surround; the cool shadows layered throughout the clothing prevent it from becoming monotonously warm.

observed palette and mixes

#e9cfa0
Buff titanium + pale cadmium yellow + white
Face highlight, forehead, upper cheekbone
#cd9771
Ochre + cadmium orange + burnt sienna
Mid-tone of face, nose, beard
#cfae8c
Yellow ochre + cadmium orange + titanium white
Clothing mid-tone, warm shadows in torso
#a29395
Alizarin + ultramarine + ochre
Shadow modeling on face, cool accents in clothing
#7b4e4d
Burnt umber + alizarin + ultramarine
Deep shadows in beard, contours, background recesses
#9e7671
Burnt sienna + ultramarine + gray
Table surface, warm-brown background areas

edges and brushwork

Every stroke is visible and purposeful—this is not blended pastel but layered and scumbled. Marks follow the anatomy of the head, with directional strokes modeling the cheekbone and jaw. The background trades precision for energy, with loose parallel and cross-hatched marks suggesting interior space without rendering it literally. Edges are deliberately varied: the profile is crisply cut against the background, while the neck and clothing soften where they meet the table. Pastel sits on the cardboard with tooth intact—no overworking or burnishing; the work breathes.

a working sequence

01
Tone the ground and establish placement
Lay down a warm mid-tone (ochre or buff) across the whole surface to unify the cardboard. Lightly block in the head's outline, the width of the shoulders, and the table edge to fix the composition. This mid-tone becomes your visual reference for both highlights and shadows.
02
Build the face form with warm base colors
Apply pale yellows and light peachy tones across the face, staying within your outline. Layer cadmium orange into the nose, cheekbone, and the upper portion of the face where light hits. Leave room for shadow. Work the beard area in warm orange-reds, following the direction of hair growth downward and to the left.
03
Model the face with cool shadow and detail
Introduce blue-mauve shadows on the temple, eye socket, and right side of the face; these cool notes make the warm highlights read as luminous. Define the profile edge of the nose, sharpen the brow, and add purple-blue accents into the shadow areas. The eye should read as sunken, not flat—let shadow do this work rather than line.
04
Establish the clothing mass and color harmony
Block in the torso and jacket with deep reds and warm burnt oranges, using the same blue-purple shadows you used on the face. The clothing should feel sculptural; let the shadow carve the form. The jacket collar and shoulder should show clear internal modeling—not uniform color but a sense of volume beneath fabric.
05
Anchor the composition with the table and hand
Simplify the table surface in warm ochres and yellows, less detailed than the figure. Add the arm and hand resting on the table in a neutral warm tone with blue shadow beneath—it acts as a visual anchor for the seated pose. The hand needs only essential definition; it supports the figure without competing for attention.
06
Develop the background with energetic mark-making
Fill the background with layers of blue, purple, and ochre using loose, gestural strokes. Hint at interior architecture—suggest window frames and wall divisions with rectangular shapes and directional mark-making, but do not render them precisely. The background should feel lively and contain complementary color to the warmth of the figure; allow the marks to be visible and energetic, not realistic.
07
Refine edges and unify with final color accents
Return to the face and sharpen the profile edge against the background; make sure it reads as a clear silhouette. Add warm yellow accents to the upper background to echo the face light and create visual unity. Soften some edges (especially where form turns away) and keep others crisp. Add any final darks where the beard meets the shirt to clarify the neck.
08
Check the value structure and apply fixative
Step back and squint at the whole work—confirm that the face reads as brightest, the clothing as mid-tone, and the background as receding. If the background is too busy, unify it with a final light veil of pastel. Spray light coats of fixative to set the layers without destroying the surface texture and visible brushwork.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Over-blending: Toulouse-Lautrec's power comes from visible pastel strokes and optical color mixing. Resist the urge to smooth everything into gradual transitions; let strokes sit and vibrate against one another.
Making the face too uniformly warm: The cool purple shadows on the temple and cheekbone are essential for modeling form and preventing the face from reading as a flat mask. Neglecting these cool accents will flatten the portrait.
Losing the background's intentional chaos: The busy interior behind the head looks chaotic but it reads as atmospheric and energetic rather than cluttered. Maintain that loose, non-literal quality; over-rendering it will pull focus from the figure.
Underestimating the clothing's sculptural role: The deep reds and browns with blue shadows should feel three-dimensional, carving the body beneath. If it reads flat or decorative, add more shadow definition and directional mark-making to suggest volume.

measured difficulty