The artwork titled “Head of a Woman with her Hair Loose” was created by Vincent van Gogh in 1885 while in Antwerp, Belgium. This portrait, crafted using oil on canvas, belongs to the Realism movement and can be categorized within the genre of portraiture. It is currently housed in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
In this piece, van Gogh has rendered a close-up portrayal of a woman’s face, focusing intensely on her features. Her hair is depicted as loose and cascading around her face, which is lit with a muted palette, emphasizing shadows and highlights. The brushstrokes are vigorous and textured, adding a tactile quality to the canvas. The background, though not intricate, provides just enough contrast to bring forward the subject’s solemn expression, encapsulating the essence of Realism. Van Gogh’s execution in using bold, expressive strokes, combined with his careful study of the human form, exhibits the depth of emotion and character of the subject.
