Images courtesy of Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
Two striking self-portraits by van Gogh and Gauguin are now on display at the Lady Lever Art Gallery, on loan from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
Vincent van Gogh (born 1853) and Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) are two of the most popular artists of the Post-Impressionist era. Both developed ideas and techniques that influenced the development of modern 20th century art.
The van Gogh painting is one of more than 40 self-portraits by the artist - it shows how he liked to use rapid brushstrokes and thick layers of paint. Gauguin’s dates from a difficult period during which he returned to Paris in 1893 in an unsuccessful bid to sell his work.
The paintings have been lent to the Lady Lever Art Gallery in exchange for its loan of 'The Blessed Damozel' by Rossetti to the exhibition 'Debussy, Music and the Arts' at the Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris, 21 February - 11 June 2012.
Images: (Left) Self-portrait with a hat (1893-4) by Paul Gauguin, (right) Self-portrait (1887) by Vincent van Gogh.
