Vincent Van Gogh S Essay, Research Paper

L Arlesienne:Madame Joseph Michel Ginoux by Vincent Van Gogh was painted in 1888. It is in oil on canvas. The dimensions are 36 x 29 in.

It depicts a woman in a refined (tasteful) black dress seated on a wooden chair at a table with a circular green table top, there is an open book in front of her with brightly colored pages in shades of green, yellow, red, and white. To her left lays another brightly colored red jacketed book.

The first thing that drew me to the painting was the effect created by contrast of the dark figure of Madam Ginoux which boldly stands out in the fore ground against the yellow orange back ground of the painting. The back ground at first brought to mind a Caribbean sunset with shades of yellow, orange, and red, but upon further scrutiny it is more the color of sunflowers in summer.

The elegant black dress with angular shoulders and neckline with white lace scarf and green undertones lends an element of dignity to the painting. The subject appears to be a woman of culture. Her upright posture suggests proper upbringing and decorum. The assortment of books with dog- eared edges that lay on the table at a perpendicular angle also lends to an image of one who is well read.

Madam Ginoux s coiffured bun hairstyle with its wide trailing curved ribbon and low hair line of apparent luxuriantly thick curly black hair emphasizes her slender aquiline features of straight nose, high cheek bones, distinctive chin, forehead, eyes and sharp shaped eyebrows. Her strong mouth also adds to the sharp lines of her face.

Her skin tone is peachy olive in color. I think Van Gogh was trying to depict the bright clear quality of her skin. Her skin seems to have a glow, emitting illumination of some sort.

From a distance it seemed Madame Ginoux was engrossed in reading the opened book which is in front of her because of the location of her hand on her left cheek just below her left temple. Due to closer examination however, I realized her line of sight is focusing downwards, but not on the book. She seems to be reflecting on something. Her pose, eyes, and facial expression conveys thoughtfulness and deep concentration, she maybe pondering something she has read in the book.

To conclude, this beautiful painting is geometric in nature. From the bright red jacket covered books with worn edges and green, yellow, red and white pages, to the model s rigid shoulders and body structure and hairstyle as well as the tip of her nose and chin which terminates in a point. The contrasting bright yellow orange background with the dark foreground intensifies the angular contours that fill the painting.