Van Gogh's Smoking Skeleton: A Satirical Rejection of Academic Art
In early 1886, while studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Vincent van Gogh created 'Head of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette' in Antwerp. This artwork, featuring a skeleton smoking a cigarette, serves as a critique of the academy's strict teaching methods. Van Gogh, who relocated to Antwerp in 1885 at the age of 32 to draw inspiration from Flemish artists, enrolled in January 1886 to take courses in drawing and painting. However, he soon became disenchanted with the emphasis on mechanical realism. The piece was produced during a skeleton-drawing session, with the cigarette added for comedic effect. After departing Antwerp on February 28, 1886, he moved to Paris, where he embraced avant-garde styles. The painting is currently located at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Key facts
- Vincent van Gogh painted 'Head of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette' in Antwerp in early 1886.
- Van Gogh moved to Antwerp in 1885 at age 32.
- He enrolled at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in January 1886.
- He studied under Frans Vinck and Eugène Siberdt.
- The painting depicts a skeleton with a lit cigarette, created as a satire of academic art.
- Van Gogh left Antwerp on February 28, 1886, for Paris.
- The painting is housed at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
- Van Gogh made three other skull works, including a brighter 1887 version with stippling influenced by Georges Seurat.
Entities
Artists
- Vincent van Gogh
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Frans Hals
- Jan van Eyck
- Henri Leys
- Frans Vinck
- Eugène Siberdt
- Georges Seurat
- Fernand Cormon
- Johanna van Gogh-Bonger
- Theo van Gogh
Institutions
- Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
- Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp
- Musée Moderne
- Van Gogh Museum
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Locations
- Antwerp
- Belgium
- Paris
- France
- Netherlands
- Provence
- Amsterdam