The painter Jacob Meyer de Haan was born into an Orthodox Ashkenazi family in Amsterdam. Initially, he painted academic portraits and genre subjects in a dark Northern style, as seen in Portrait of a Young Jewish Girl (in the next gallery). In the summer of 1889, De Haan met Paul Gauguin. The two painters settled in Le Pouldu, a hamlet in Brittany, where they were part of the Pont-Aven circle of artists. Under Gauguin’s influence, de Haan’s paintings became vibrant, bold compositions. De Haan later returned to Holland and apparently produced no more works prior to his death in 1895. In this self-portrait, de Haan portrays himself in Breton costume, revealing his liberation from conventional dress. He projects the image of the avant-garde artist with his colorful bandana and Breton cap, which serves as a skullcap.
		Jacob Meyer de Haan (Dutch, 1852-1895) Self-Portrait, 1889-91 Oil on canvas Collection Mr. and Mrs. Arthur G. Altschul, New York