Pôster Courtesan (after Eisen) by Vincent Van Gogh

Courtesan (after Eisen) by Vincent Van Gogh, oil on canvas 1887, is a painting of a female geisha girl figure in a patterned Japanese kimono costume and elaborate hairstyle, copied from a print by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Keisai Eisen. Drawn on a flattened, brilliant yellow background, the figure is superimposed on a colorful landscape of a pond with tall bamboo shoots, lily pads and storks. Van Gogh avidly studied and collected Japanese prints, as their bold contours, flat areas of color and lack of shadows greatly influenced Vincent’s mature, Post-Impressionist style. Vincent Van Gogh (1853 - 1890) was a Dutch painter of the Post-Impressionist movement known for bold, expressive drawing, swirling brushstrokes and bold, heightened colors. In early adulthood Van Gogh worked as an art dealer, teacher and pastor before taking up the full time study of drawing and painting in his late twenties. Influenced by Rembrandt, the 19th century Realists and Barbizon school, Van Gogh's early paintings featured studies of workers and peasants in somber earth tones. Moving to France in 1886, Van Gogh met with the startling innovations of the Impressionist painters and began to apply their approach to color and subject matter, which continued into the mature style for which the artist is most renowned. Van Gogh produced many hundreds of drawings and paintings including portraits, landscapes, still life and flower paintings, and numerous self-portraits that became a dominating influence on the modern art of the 20th century and made him one of the most popular artists of all time.