Self-portrait

In the pictureShort brushstrokes flow in a textured pattern across a blue-green background, and in front of it the painter, wearing a light gray felt hat, is seen down to the chest. His green eyes look straight ahead, and his pink face and orange beard are built up from layer upon layer of fine strokes. At his neck are a white collar and a blue tie; his brown jacket is flecked with red, green and blue dots, and its lapel is outlined with a blue line. A single red line runs diagonally down the front of his shirt. The hatband is drawn as a dark blue-green stripe.

BackgroundVan Gogh moved to Paris in 1886 after hearing from his brother Theo about bright new French painting. There, while learning a new style, he painted many self-portraits; the museum explains that saving on the cost of models was a major reason. This is a small work, 42×34 cm, painted on cardboard rather than canvas, and the artist portrayed himself as a smartly dressed Parisian. It belonged to Andries Bonger, Theo's brother-in-law, and in 1936 his wife donated it to the Rijksmuseum.

Puzzle tipStart with the face. The green eyes, the orange beard and the pink ear on the right are distinct, which makes the central mass a good place to begin. Next come the large curve of the light gray hat, the white collar and the blue tie. The shirt front, crossed by the red line, is the guide for joining the torso pieces. The blue-green background is large, but it varies slightly in darkness and in stroke direction, which lets you sort it. The jacket, with its small mixed dots, makes pieces look alike, so fill it in last, using the blue lapel line as a guide. The recommended size is Normal, about 48 pieces.