L'Arlésienne: Madame Joseph-Michel Ginoux (Marie Julien, 1848–1911)
Original title: L'Arlésienne: Madame Joseph-Michel Ginoux (Marie Julien, 1848–1911)
kurzbeschreibung
Painted in Arles in 1888–89, this portrait shows Marie Ginoux, wife of a local café owner. Vincent van Gogh worked in oil on canvas, presenting her in profile seated at a table with books.
Description
Seated at a table, one hand raised toward her ear as if listening, she appears in profile. Open and closed books lie before her. She wears a dark top and a light scarf with red patterning; her dark hair is gathered in a bun. A bright yellow, unmodulated ground surrounds and isolates the figure. The layout reads clearly: table and books in the foreground, the woman behind.
Context
During his stay in Arles, van Gogh portrayed the café owner Marie Ginoux. The work belongs to a period of intense productivity that yielded numerous portraits of locals, and it is one of several versions he made of Madame Ginoux, some after a drawing by Paul Gauguin. The yellow background is characteristic of van Gogh's southern French works.
Impact
Strong colors and visible brushmarks give the surface a lively, almost vibrating quality. The sitter's calm pose and the yellow ground convey concentration and composure. The clear arrangement draws the eye straight to the woman and her gesture.
Technique
Oil on canvas. Van Gogh used bold, clearly visible brushstrokes that emphasize the texture of the paint areas. The palette is warm and luminous, with a dominant yellow defining the background.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)