Coin French Mint 250 Euros 1/2 Kg Silver Proof France 2020 - Van Gogh

Title: Self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh Series: Masterpieces from museums.

Quality: BE (Beautiful Proof). Edition: 300 copies. 999.9 ‰ Silver - 500 g - Ø 90 X 69 X 9 mm.

 

Rectangular Format - Official Coloring!

 

WARNING! LAST AVAILABLE Coin

The vast richness of pictorial art in France over several centuries provided the Monnaie de Paris with an opportunity to launch a new series paying tribute to the greatest masterpieces found in our museums. Celebrating various art movements and influences—Renaissance, Baroque, Impressionism, and more—each year, several works are honored. In 2020, Picasso's Guernica, Hokusai's The Great Wave, and Van Gogh's Self-portrait were highlighted.

During his career, the impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh created around forty self-portraits. This series of paintings and drawings was created between 1886 and 1889. The specific portrait we refer to dates back to 1889. It is one of three self-portraits from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence showing the painter's left profile, hence not displaying his mutilated ear. Van Gogh used to observe his reflection in the mirror while creating his works. The painting is housed in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. It's an oil on canvas portraying the artist bust-length, wearing a jacket. The focus is on Van Gogh's face, displaying harsh features and a gaze encircled with hints of anxiety. Dominated by shades of turquoise blue and absinthe green, contrasting with the fiery orange of the artist's hair and beard, the undulating curls echo the hallucinatory arabesques composing the background of the work.

The obverse side of the 250 Silver coin features the famous self-portrait in its entirety. To create the illusion of the artwork, it is colored, and the drawing of the actual frame surrounding Van Gogh's portrait is depicted. The name of the painting, the artist's name, and the year of this coin's production are inscribed on the cartouche, also present on the artwork exhibited at the Musée d'Orsay.

The reverse is common across the series, showcasing a blend of views from several prominent French museums: in the top left corner, an interior view of the Musée d'Orsay, recognizable by its magnificent clock. Adjacent to it is a view of the Louvre's facade visible from the Cour Napoléon (where the famous pyramid stands). Below these elements, a fresco from the Hôtel Salé, housing the Picasso Museum, is depicted. The lower part of the reverse showcases a view of the façade of the Hôtel Biron, the current Musée Rodin. Above, the famous staircase of the Centre Pompidou is portrayed. The face value and the inscription "République Française" are also engraved on this reverse side.

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999 Silver
L 90mm, W 69mm, Weight 500.00g
BE ( belle épreuve)
French Mint