Van Gogh. Self-Portraits
Book Cover Image
by Karen Serres, , Van Tilborgh Louis, , and Bailey Martin
PUBLISHER
Paul Holberton Publishing
DATE
2022-04-29 
choose an artwork that the author discusses in the book and Answer ALL OF the
Following questions Using 10 quotes AND your own analysis. ONLY USE THIS BOOK TO
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS!!! If you use information that you paraphrase, also tell me what
page you paraphrased it from.
1. Which events and surrounding environments have influenced this work (i.e. natural
events; social movements such as feminism; political events, economic situations,
historic events, religious settings, cultural events)? What effect did these have? 2. Which key biographical details about the artist are relevant in understanding this artwork
(upbringing and personal situation; family and relationships; psychological state; health
and fitness; socioeconomic status; employment; ethnicity; culture; gender; education,
religion; interests, attitudes, values and beliefs)?
3. How might your own upbringing, beliefs and biases distort your interpretation of the
artwork? Does your own response differ from the public response, that of the original
audience and/or interpretation by critics?
4. Who was this artwork intended for? How do you think that affected the artwork? Did
someone else commission the work? What were the patron’s motives in sponsoring this
work? To what extent did the patron participate in its creation?
5. Who was able to see the work? Under what circumstances? What was the response of
contemporary viewers to this work?
6. What was the political, religious, or social context in which this work was created?
7. What political, religious and/or social messages are being conveyed through the subject
matter or artistic style of the work?