A man with a reddish beard and piercing blue eyes faces forward, his head turned slightly to his left so that his gaze meets the viewer directly. His hair is short and brushed back, rendered in thick, energetic strokes of yellow and ochre that echo the swirling blue background. The background is a dense field of curved, rhythmic blue marks, creating a sense of movement and turbulence around the figure’s head.

He wears a blue jacket with bold, visible brushstrokes that follow the folds of the fabric, and a lighter shirt peeks out at the collar and chest. The light falls evenly across his face, highlighting the angular planes of his cheeks and forehead, while the shadows are built up with greens and blues rather than browns or blacks. His expression is intense and contemplative, with tightly pressed lips and furrowed brows, suggesting a moment of deep concentration.

Every surface is animated by the texture of the paint, from the swirling background to the ridged strokes that model the face and clothing. The upper right and left corners of the painting are filled with darker, almost navy blue brushstrokes that intensify the swirling effect of the background. Light catches the bridge of the nose and the upper cheekbones, while the area beneath the eyes and around the mouth is more shadowed.

The paint is applied thickly in some areas, especially in the background and jacket, creating a tactile, impasto surface that emphasizes the direction of each brushstroke. Vincent van Gogh painted this self-portrait in 1888. The painting is part of the genre of self-portraiture, a type of work in which the artist explores his own likeness.