plate no. 2173
Portrait of Vincent van Gogh
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.
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