The Zouave is the subject of several sketches and paintings made by Vincent van Gogh in Arles.

Le Zouave (half-figure)
Artist	Vincent van Gogh
Year	June 1888
Catalogue	F423 JH1486
Medium	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	82 cm × 65 cm (32 in × 26 in)
Location	Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Van Gogh was excited to have a model for a portrait, and painted two of the Zouave soldier in June 1888. Van Gogh described him as a boy, though he is portrayed as older, with a small face, large neck and intense eyes. A half-length portrait, Le Zouave (half-figure), was made of the tanned man with bright colors he called a "savage combination of incongruous tones". The Zouave's uniform was blue with red-orange braids, a red cap and two yellow stars on his chest, all placed against the background of a green door and orange bricks.[1][2]

Van Gogh was not happy with the painting and described it as "ugly and unsuccessful", but thought the challenge might expand his artistic range. He made a further drawing, with which he was not particularly pleased, and a painting Le Zouave of the soldier against a white wall.[3]

• 
  Le Zouave, June 1888, Private collection (F424)
• 
  The Zouave, watercolor, 1888, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (F1482)

References

External links

• Van Gogh, paintings and drawings: a special loan exhibition, a fully digitized exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries, which contains material on The Zouave (see index)

На других языках

[ru] Зуав (картина Ван Гога)