The artwork titled “Orphan Man with Top Hat and Umbrella Under his Arm” was created by Vincent van Gogh in the year 1882 while he resided in The Hague, Netherlands. It is a pencil drawing on paper that falls within the Realism art movement and represents the genre of portraiture. The artwork is currently housed in the Kröller-Müller Museum located in Otterlo, Netherlands.
The artwork depicts an elderly man standing, dressed in a long, dark overcoat and a top hat. His attire suggests he is prepared for inclement weather, as he carries an umbrella tucked under his arm. The man’s face is partially obscured by his collar and hat, giving him a somewhat forlorn or introspective appearance. The detailed rendering of his clothing, along with the use of shading, highlights the artist’s focus on human experience and social reality, which are central themes of the Realism movement. The simplicity of the medium, pencil on paper, emphasizes the raw and earnest emotion captured in the portrait.
