Behind the picture
A little late for the rent.
What would Vincent make of his afterlife in the art market? This imagined encounter gives him a dry voice, a few uncomfortable observations, and time to land the punchline.
The starting point is a high-resolution museum scan of his 1889 self-portrait. Short, newly written monologues become speech, and that speech guides the movement of his painted mouth. His face and jacket become a sculpted surface, while his hand, brushes, and paint sit in front. Hidden areas are filled in so you can peek between the layers. Drag the deep frame to see the relief.
These are fictional jokes, not quotations or a reconstruction of his real voice. The history behind them is real: Theo supported his work, the ear injury became part of his public story, and paintings that brought him little security now command enormous sums.
The painting & the history
Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait, 1889. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. John Hay Whitney, accession 1998.74.5. Public-domain image, NGA Open Access.
Read the NGA’s account of this self-portrait, the Van Gogh Letters project’s account of Theo’s financial support, and Christie’s 2022 auction report. The dialogue and animated presentation are an artistic interpretation by Chris Choy.