Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (obverse: The Potato Peeler)

A man with a reddish-blond beard gazes out, a yellow straw hat on his head and a grey-blue jacket covering his shoulders, set against a muted brown backdrop. The painting was made in 1887 using oil on canvas, and it belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having come to the museum through a bequest. Vincent van Gogh, associated with Post-Impressionism, painted this likeness of himself during a period of close self-study. Looking closely, the warm tones of the hat stand out against the cooler shade of the jacket, giving the composition a quiet contrast between light and shadow across the face.