Monday, August 12, 2013

What Color Were Vincent Van Gogh's Eyes?

Looking at some of Vincent Van Gogh's self portraits, it can be difficult to impossible to tell what actual color his eyes were.  Just look at this self portrait from 1887 and your eyes will soon water from the strain. Some of his self-portraits hint that he had two different colored eyes.

It is also possible that Vincent himself did not know what color his eyes were.  He is thought to have experienced some color blindness.  He also had a habit of ignoring reality whenever it suited him.

My mother has blue eyes.  They are very apparently blue to me or just about anyone else that looks at her face.  However, she tells me that they look green.  My favorite singer Peter Gabriel, known for his soulful blue eyes, has sometimes told people that his eyes are actually green.

This got me thinking that Vincent may have seen his eyes in a way that no one else did. 

What is defiantly known is that he had ginger hair.  Men with ginger hair tend to have eyes that are blue. Artist A.S. Hartrick described Van Gogh's eyes as light blue.