For no less than 120 years it was hidden in a private collection, but tomorrow the masterpiece will be auctioned. A work of art by none other than painter Vincent van Gogh. In "Auction gem of the week," the intended proceeds...
Van Gogh hoped one day to become a figure painter. So he was constantly drawing and painting studies of heads. He portrayed many men and women who worked on farms around Nuenen. According to the painter, they represent the hard life of farm workers.
The woman depicted in the painting to be auctioned is Gordina de Groot. Fun fact: Gordina is also seen in the company of Van Gogh's early masterpiece The Potato Eaters.
Vincent's contacts with Gordina, however, caused a scandal in the village. A letter to his brother Theo revealed that Vincent had portrayed the woman more than once. When Gordina was pregnant, people in the village thought she was pregnant by Vincent. In the letter, however, Vincent says this was not true at all. Nevertheless, according to auction house Christie's, the work suggests a special tenderness between the artist and the woman, which is evident by the special look in her eyes.
The work will be auctioned Feb. 28 by Christies. The expected proceeds are between € 1 and € 2 million.
View this post on Instagram
© 2024 MASTERS EXPO. All rights reserved.
