Portrait of Dr. Félix Rey (1889)
Oil on Canvas
Modified 1/11/17 Jenna Palme
Vincent Van Gogh's portrait of his doctor from Arles exists and is now housed in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. He painted this in January of 1889 as a gift for the doctor, but Dr. Rey wasn't a fan of the work as he thought it wasn't a realistic representation of himself and gave it to his mother. Rey's mother thought the work was hideous and used it to repair her chicken coop according to the National Center of Biotechnology Information. Van Gogh's style wasn't popular at the time, so people weren't appreciative of his works as they are now. In Sunflowers, Van Gogh paints Rey as a sort of thanks for being so kind and understanding to him during his time in the hospital after he cut off a piece of his ear. In the book, Rey has an obvious attraction towards Rachel, so he wasn't painted in the most flattering manner. The dark, clashing colors used don't give a complimentary look to the doctor. His eyes seem almost pitch black from afar, then take a closer look at the image, and see the soft brown that was truly used to give the doctor a caring and kind demeanor. The clear brushstrokes give off the impressionist style of lacking a polished look. Vincent clearly admired the doctor as he tended to paint people he cared for and admired.
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