Artworks

Auver-sur-oise, 1982

  • Artist

    Robert Colescott

  • Title

    Auver-sur-oise

  • Date

    1982

  • Medium

    Charcoal on paper

  • Dimensions

    83 1/2 × 29 3/4 in. (212.1 × 75.6 cm)

  • Credit line

    The Studio Museum in Harlem; gift of Raymond J. Learsy and Gabriella De Ferrari

  • Object Number

    1988.5

Robert Colescott reimagines art history through the lens of satire and parody. In Auver-sur-oise, he brings his humor to the legacy of Vincent van Gogh. The title plays on the name of the Parisian suburb, Auvers-sur-oise, where Van Gogh lived prior to his tragic suicide. Colescott puts himself opposite Van Gogh’s portrait—with his back to the camera, absorbed in his artwork, and wearing headphones rather than bandaging over his ears. Colescott inserts humorous details such as the bikini-clad skeleton and plays with Van Gogh’s narrative, asserting his place within the annals of history alongside the “artistic genius” previously attributed only to white male artists.


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Artworks

Auver-sur-oise, 1982

  • Artist

    Robert Colescott

  • Title

    Auver-sur-oise

  • Date

    1982

  • Medium

    Charcoal on paper

  • Dimensions

    83 1/2 × 29 3/4 in. (212.1 × 75.6 cm)

  • Credit line

    The Studio Museum in Harlem; gift of Raymond J. Learsy and Gabriella De Ferrari

  • Object Number

    1988.5

Robert Colescott reimagines art history through the lens of satire and parody. In Auver-sur-oise, he brings his humor to the legacy of Vincent van Gogh. The title plays on the name of the Parisian suburb, Auvers-sur-oise, where Van Gogh lived prior to his tragic suicide. Colescott puts himself opposite Van Gogh’s portrait—with his back to the camera, absorbed in his artwork, and wearing headphones rather than bandaging over his ears. Colescott inserts humorous details such as the bikini-clad skeleton and plays with Van Gogh’s narrative, asserting his place within the annals of history alongside the “artistic genius” previously attributed only to white male artists.


Explore further