Despite painting himself around 35 times, there is only one confirmed photographic portrait of Vincent van Gogh that clearly shows his face. Taken in 1873, when the artist was 19 years old, the photograph captures a young Van Gogh staring unsmilingly into the camera, as was common for portrait photography at the time.
Around the time the photograph was taken, Van Gogh was working in the art trade. It would still be several years before he decided to become an artist and began creating the paintings he is known for today.
There is only one confirmed photograph of Vincent van Gogh, taken in 1873 when the artist was 19 years old.
Over the years, several other photographs have been associated with Van Gogh, although most have never been authenticated. One image was believed for decades to show a 13-year-old Vincent. In 2018, however, researchers determined that the boy was actually his younger brother, Theo van Gogh, who was photographed in Brussels at age 15 in 1873.
An image of Vincent’s younger brother, Theo van Gogh, was attributed to Vincent for decades before being disproved by researchers in 2018.
The mistake is understandable. The brothers shared similar features, and the photograph had been accepted as an image of Vincent for more than 60 years. Once it was correctly identified, the 1873 portrait of 19-year-old Vincent once again became his only known photographic portrait.
Another mysterious photograph from around 1886 shows an older man who bears a striking resemblance to Van Gogh. Sometimes referred to as a photograph of “Brussels clergymen,” the image has never been authenticated as a portrait of the artist. The Canadian photographer’s information printed on the photograph also makes the identification unlikely, since Van Gogh never traveled outside Europe.
There is one other accepted photograph of Van Gogh from around 1886 or 1887, but it offers little help in determining exactly what he looked like. In the image, he is seen from behind while sitting across from fellow artist Émile Bernard along the Seine near Asnières.
Another accepted photograph of Van Gogh, taken around 1886 or 1887, shows him from behind alongside fellow artist Émile Bernard.
Vincent van Gogh (seen from behind) sitting across from fellow artist Émile Bernard along the Seine near Asnières, circa 1886. Photo: Photographer unknown via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
That leaves Van Gogh’s many self-portraits as our clearest record of his appearance as an adult. By the time of his death in 1890 at just 37 years old, he had created nearly 900 paintings and more than 1,100 works on paper, becoming one of the most recognizable artists in history.
Source: The Mystery of Vincent van Gogh’s Photos
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