As ardent fans we’ve seen many Van Gogh self-portraits in museums such as the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

But we have never been to the Nasjonalmuseet in Oslo, Norway to see this self-portrait.

Van Gogh painted over 30 self-portraits which are among the most well-known not only among his paintings, but in the world of art.

Yet this one stands out from the rest, and for good reason. This is the only self-portrait he attempted when he was clearly sick, in the asylum in St-Remy-de-Provence. He looks withdrawn, like a beaten dog, not nearly as confident as he looks in two other self-portraits painted just months later in the fall of 1889.

And for that reason, there was always a question as to its authenticity. Was this real or one of the many fakes that were circulating in the early 1900s?

After Van Gogh’s death in 1890, his works slowly began to circulate. His widow sold a few, and other paintings had already been in the hands of fellow artists and friends of Vincent.

In the early 1900s, German collectors were the most avid buyers, and soon there were German exhibitions dedicated to his art.

Then, suddenly it seemed the German market was flooded with Van Goghs. Many turned out to be the work of art dealer / forger Otto Wacker, who was exposed, tried and convicted by the end of the 1920s.

But Wacker was nearly as prolific as Van Gogh, and many of his paintings made their way into reputable collections. Some may still be there. After all, no one wants to admit that their priceless Van Gogh is in fact worthless.

Aside from the unusual pose compared to Van Gogh’s other self-portraits, the problem with the painting was that they couldn’t trace it’s ownership.

Recently they uncovered that it was once owned by Joseph and Marie Ginoux, proprietors of Café de la Gare in Arles. Van Gogh had stayed with them for a time and became a friend.

In fact, he painted at least six portraits of Marie, also known as L’Arlésienne (woman of Arles). So, it was highly conceivable that they ended up with this self-portrait after Van Gogh left the asylum. He was known to give away his paintings to friends.

But what happened to it afterwards and how did the Nasjonalmuseet come to buy it in 1910? That information seems to be lost.

These days, the recognized experts in all things Van Gogh are at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. They’ve had decades of evaluating and analyzing Van Gogh’s paintings, drawings and letters. They can tell you which paint he was using, the different types of canvas and who he was writing to about his paintings (usually his brother Theo, but also many friends).

Wanting to settle the controversy over this painting, in 2014 the Nasjonalmuseet invited the Van Gogh Museum to study the portrait. Finally, the experts at the Van Gogh Museum have concluded that despite some of the differences with his other work, this portrait is  “unmistakably” by Van Gogh’s hand.

They’ve determined that this must have been the painting he referred to in a letter to Theo in September 1889. He describes it as  “an attempt from when I was ill.”

The portrait is currently on show at the Van Gogh Museum, and will be returned to the Nasjonalmuseet where it will be on display after renovations to the museum are completed in 2021.

If you’re a Van Gogh fan, and you’re anywhere near Paris, it’s worth the one-hour train trip to the picturesque village of Auvers-Sur-Oise. This was Van Gogh’s last home, and now his resting place. Read about our pilgrimage to Auvers. You can see his room and eat in the dining room where he took his daily meals. The food was delicious!

There’s nothing like having WiFi wherever you go. We rented a Teppy portable WiFi and carried it with us everywhere. With a Teppy, you can connect your phones, tablets, laptops and gaming consoles just like you connect to WiFi at home.

Use the apps on your phone including your favorite GPS apps without paying expensive cellular service fees.

It’s also perfect for uploading pictures, sending emails or just web browsing. We also used it for online work on the road including web updates and social media.

Teppy portable WiFi works around the world. Try it on your next trip.

For hotel accommodation, we like Booking.com. Photographs show off the properties, and real reviews help you choose the hotel that’s best for you. You’ll find a great selection, current prices and pages that make booking easy.

Remember, book early to get the best selection and price. Click here, and you’ll get $25 off your next reservation on Booking.com.

We’ve rented Airbnb on many of our trips. We wrote an article about renting Airbnb, 12 Tips for a Great Renting Experience to help you make the right decision. If it’s your first time renting Airbnb, click here to get the equivalent of $50 CDN off your first booking.

Along with the websites and other travel planning tools, we still like to have a guide book handy. We’ve tried them all, and these days we prefer Lonely Planet books.

Use our link to get 10% off your total order when you enter EARTHTRIPPERS10 during checkout, where it asks for the Discount Code. Please note, this offer is valid only in USA and Canada.

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