You buy from the studio that paints it — no gallery markup, no reseller margin. Final quote depends on size, frame and destination.
Price by canvas size
Every Self-Portrait we paint is made to order, so the price tracks the canvas size and the amount of brushwork involved. These are the sizes our customers order most:
| Size (inches) | Size (cm) | Estimated price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 × 20 in | 40 × 50 cm | $369 | A small wall, a gallery group, an office |
| 24 × 32 in | 60 × 80 cm | $649 | Bedroom, hallway, above a console |
| 35 × 47 in | 90 × 120 cm | $1,099 | Above a sofa or bed, living room focal wall |
| 47 × 63 in | 120 × 160 cm | $1,499 | Large wall, open-plan room, hospitality |
Estimates only — the final quote depends on your exact size, frame and shipping destination. Framing and shipping are quoted separately. Duties and import taxes are the buyer's responsibility (DAP).
Tell us your size and frame — we reply with an exact quote, usually within the hour.
💬 Get a Self-Portrait Quote on WhatsAppWhy the face is the test of a copyist
Everything in this painting is secondary to about fifteen square centimetres of face. The brushwork in the coat can be approximate; the eyes, the mouth and the set of the jaw cannot. If the flesh tones are half a step too warm, or the eyes are two millimetres too far apart, the whole canvas stops being Van Gogh and becomes a painting of Van Gogh.
Prints do not have this problem because they do not have this risk — which is also why they do not have the result. Our painters underpaint the flesh in warm tones, then work the face in small separate dabs rather than blending, so the skin keeps the same broken colour he used everywhere else. The background curves go on last, in long strokes that follow the shape of the head.
There is a test we encourage buyers to use on any "oil painting" they are offered: run a fingernail very gently across the surface. A hand-painted canvas feels like terrain. A print feels like glass.
The painting itself
He painted it in Saint-Rémy in the autumn of 1889, at the point where he was well enough to work again after a bad episode. It was painted to send to his brother and mother in part as reassurance — that he was steady, that he was working.
Because the original is a modest head-and-shoulders on a tall canvas, this is the most adaptable Van Gogh we make: it suits a narrow wall beside a door, a study, a landing, anywhere a landscape will not fit. Tell us the width of the wall and we will suggest which of our standard sizes leaves the right margin.
How our painters reproduce it
Our studio is in Dafen Oil Painting Village, Shenzhen — the centre of hand-painted oil reproduction for more than thirty years. A Self-Portrait here is not traced, projected or transferred. The painter works freehand from a high-resolution reference, in layers:
- Composition and ground. The canvas is toned and the main forms laid out in a thin underpainting, matching the original proportions to your chosen size.
- Colour build-up. The palette is mixed in oil, not acrylic — only oil gives the same depth, slow blending and the slightly translucent glow the original depends on.
- Impasto and surface passes. The signature strokes go on last, loaded with paint, following the direction of the original's brushwork. This is the slowest and most skilful stage.
- Drying and inspection. Layered oil needs days to set properly. We let it. Then the finished canvas is checked against the reference for colour, composition and stroke character.
Where it hangs best
The most human format he painted — a vertical head-and-shoulders that fits almost any wall. Rooms our customers choose most often:
- Narrow wall beside a door or fireplace — the vertical format is the point
- Study or reading corner — a face in a room where you sit
- Landing or stair wall — portraits read well in passing light
- Hospitality — studies, libraries and private dining rooms
Framing
Choose gold to echo the original's warmth, matte black for a contemporary room, walnut for a traditional interior, or no frame at all as a gallery-wrap canvas ready to hang. Frames are quoted separately and packed with corner protection.
How ordering works
- Tell us the painting, size and frame. WhatsApp is fastest — include a wall photo if you want sizing advice.
- Get an exact quote. Usually within the hour, with the timeline confirmed in writing.
- 70% deposit starts the painting. Paid by bank transfer, PayPal, credit card or Wise.
- We send photographs of the finished painting. You review it before anything ships. If something clearly does not match your order notes, tell us and we adjust it.
- Pay the 30% balance, then we ship. Tracked worldwide courier, rolled in a rigid tube or crated if framed.
FAQ
Is this hand-painted or printed?
100% hand-painted in oil on artist canvas by a studio painter in Dafen. No printing, no transfer, no giclée. You can feel the brushwork on the surface.
How much does it cost?
Est. $369–$1499 depending on canvas size, from 16 × 20 in up to 47 × 63 in. Frame and shipping quoted separately.
Can I order a size that is not on the list?
Yes — any size. The painter works freehand on a blank canvas, so we can also crop the composition slightly to fit your wall proportions.
How do I approve it before shipping?
We send photographs of the finished painting. You approve first, then pay the 30% balance and we ship. If something clearly does not match your order notes, tell us and we adjust it before it leaves.
How long does it take?
Most take 2–4 weeks depending on size and the studio queue. Layered oil needs proper drying time. The timeline is confirmed in writing before any deposit.
Who pays import duty?
Shipping is worldwide and tracked, typically DHL or FedEx, quoted separately. Import duties and taxes in your country are the buyer's responsibility (DAP).
Ready to commission a real Self-Portrait? Send the size and frame — quote back within the hour.
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