La Mousme, Sitting by Vincent van Gogh
Always an avid reader, Vincent van Gogh was inspired by Pierre Loti's novel Madame Chrysantheme to paint a portrait of a mousmé. The result is van Gogh's La Mousmé, Sitting, which he painted in 1888. Vincent van Gogh's La Mousme, Sitting is an oil on canvas (29-1/4x23-1/2 inches) that is housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. |
Van Gogh explained in a letter to his brother Theo that a mousmé was a young Japanese girl. Loti's novel describes the temporary marriage of a French sailor to a young Japanese woman. In his painting, van Gogh sought a sitter -- young, comely, and modest -- who embodied the characteristics Loti portrayed in his title character.
Vincent van Gogh painted Self-Portrait with Pipe and Straw Hat near the end of his summer in Arles France. Keep reading to learn about this painting.
To learn more about art, famous artists, and art history, check out:
