Portrait of the Artist's Mother
Vincent van Gogh · 1888
Why it's great
An elderly woman sits with her hands folded in a dark dress. Van Gogh painted it in 1888 from a black-and-white photograph. He used bold greens and reds to make it more alive. It's an affectionate portrait of the mother he loved.
Where to see it
📍 Norton Simon MuseumPasadena, United States
Open in Maps ↗Hang it on your wall
Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
Vincent van Gogh was born in a small village in the Netherlands and worked as a teacher and art dealer before becoming a painter at age 27. He lived in the Netherlands, Belgium, Paris, and finally the sunny south of France, where his colors grew brighter and bolder. He painted more than 800 paintings in about a decade, yet sold almost none while alive. After his death at 37, his brother's family helped make him one of the most loved artists in history.
