Vincent van Gogh, L’Arlesienne, Madame Joseph-Michel Ginoux (Marie Julien, 1848-1911), 1888, oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Title: L’Arlésienne Madame Joseph-Michel Ginoux
Artist: Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Madame Ginoux, the wife of Vincent van Gogh’s landlord in Arles, posed for the artist and his friend Paul Gauguin one November day in 1888. Wearing the special costume of the local women, particularly renowned for its elaborate headdress and collar, she assumes an attitude of reflection. Vincent painted two versions of L’Arlesienne: in the interpretation above, she is contemplating the contents of an open volume, its title unknown. Replacing the umbrella of the first portrait which is now in the Musee d’Orsay in Paris (that Vincent wrote only took him an hour to complete).
Van Gogh’s use of color, though, is unrivaled in strength and intensity, particularly the juxtaposition of Madame Ginoux’s almost midnight blue dress with the luminous yellow background as well as deep red book surrounded by a emerald green. Notice too how Vincent has outlined the features of her face and the chair, adding to the overall effect of the work.
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