Van Gogh painted his friend Boch as 'a poet in colour'. The portrait expresses admiration for the artist's spirit and idealises the creative soul with starry skies and warm tones.
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) was a Dutch post-impressionist painter known for his expressive brushstrokes, intense use of colour and emotional depth. Although he received little recognition during his lifetime, today he is considered one of the most influential artists in Western art history. His work comprises more than 2,000 artworks, including about 860 oil paintings, often made in the last two years of his life. His themes's ranged from self-portraits and landscapes to still lifes and peasant figures, in which he always tried to capture the essence of human existence.
