The Blue Dress
Currently on view
Kees van Dongen (1877 - 1968), Paris, in or before 1911
oil on canvas, 146.2 cm x 114.4 cm
Credits: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (purchased with support from the VriendenLoterij), c/o Pictoright Amsterdam 2023
Currently on view
Kees van Dongen (1877 - 1968), Paris, in or before 1911
oil on canvas, 146.2 cm x 114.4 cm
Credits: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (purchased with support from the VriendenLoterij), c/o Pictoright Amsterdam 2023
The Dutch painter Kees van Dongen married Augusta (Guus) Preitinger in 1901 and painted this almost life-sized painting ten years later. She gazes provocatively through her eyelashes, her hand placed nonchalantly on her hip.
Although this is a portrait of Van Dongen’s wife, it is her bright blue dress that steals the show. It contrasts strongly with Guus’s pale complexion and the red background, causing it to leap out of the canvas. Van Dongen painted the shadows on his wife’s arms and neck in bright green.
Working with areas of solid colour and bold contrasts is a typical feature of this artist’s work. The painting was directly inspired by Van Gogh’s bright colours and expressive brushwork.
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Nederlanders in Parijs 1789-1914. Van Spaendonck, Jongkind, Van Gogh , Van Dongen, Mondriaan, 13 October 2017-7 January 2018
The Hague, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Herkomst: Ivo Bouwman, 16 February-12 May 2013
Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, De grote ogen van Kees van Dongen, 18 September 2010-23 January 2011, no. 56
Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Kees van Dongen: Hoe ik er kwam - fauvisme, exotisme, epatisme, 18 September 2010-23 January 2011
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Van Goghs brieven. De kunstenaar aan het woord, 9 October 2009-3 January 2010
Martigny, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Kees van Dongen, 25 January-9 June 2002, no. 42
Paris, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Van Dongen, le peintre : 1877-1968, 22 March-17 June 1990, no. zonder nr.
Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Kees van Dongen, 17 December 1989-11 February 1990, no. 27
Toulouse, Réfectoire des Jacobins, Kees Van Dongen 1877-1968, October-November 1985, no. 29
Saint-Tropez, Musée de l'Annonciade, Kees Van Dongen 1877-1968, 6 July-30 September 1985, no. 29
Paris, Grand Palais, Hommage à Van Dongen, 31 October-27 November 1972, no. 21
Marseille, Musée Cantini, Hommage à Van Dongen, June-September 1969, no. 35
Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Van Dongen, 8 December 1967-28 January 1968
Paris, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Van Dongen, 13 October-26 November 1967, no. 63
Grafton Galleries, Second Post-Impressionist Exhibition, 5 October-31 December 1912, no. 34
Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Oeuvres nouvelles de Van Dongen, 4-16 December 1911, no. 18
Jonkman, Mayken, Dijk, Maite van, Bakker, Nienke, The Dutch in Paris 1789-1914, 2017, p. 221
Scholten, F., Gokken voor de kunst, p. 47-48
Hopmans, Anita, De grote ogen van Kees van Dongen, 2010, p. 98, 123, 186
Jonkman, Mayken, Dijk, Maite van, Bakker, Nienke, Les Hollandais à Paris 1789-1914, 2017, p. 221
Wentinck, Charles, Hommage à Van Dongen, 1969, [unpaged]
Inhoudelijk jaarverslag 1999 : stichting Van Gogh Museum, 2000, p. 3-4, 7, 10-11, 21
Schoon, T., Kees van Dongen, cop. 1990, p. 161
Hopmans, Anita, Kees van Dongen : de blauwe japon, p. 16-19
Bondil, Nathalie, Bouhours, Jean-Michel, Kees Van Dongen en Amérique du Nord : a Montreal Tribute, p. 211, 334
Doschka, Roland, L'Eternel Feminin : from Renoir to Picasso, 1996, p. 35-39
Leeuw, Ronald de, Leighton, John, Duparc, F., Straaten, Evert J. van, Een lot uit de loterij : museale aanwinsten dankzij de Sponsor Loterij (1998-2004), 2004, p. 8-9, 23
Darley, Esther, Suijver, Renske, Masterpieces in the Van Gogh Museum, 2019, p. 162
Darley, Esther, Suijver, Renske, Meesterwerken in het Van Gogh Museum, 2019, p. 162
Jonkman, Mayken, Dijk, Maite van, Bakker, Nienke, Nederlanders in Parijs 1789-1914, 2017, p. 221
Leighton, John, Nederlandse Sponsor Loterij : Jaarverslag 1999, 2000, p. 5, 22
Nieuwe aanwinst : spectaculaire aankoop, p. 11
Recent acquisitions by the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, p. 600-604
Van Dongen, [1967], [unpaged]
Kyriazi, J.M., Van Dongen et le fauvisme, 1971, p.112-114, 116-118, 147
Marquet, F., Pagé, Suzanne, Van Dongen, le peintre : 1877-1968, 1990, p. 143-144
Dorn, Roland, Keyes, G., Rishel, Joseph .J., Sachs, K., Van Gogh face to face : the portraits, 2000, p. 233
Leighton, John, Heugten, Sjraar van, Stolwijk, Chris, Van Gogh Museum : a decade of collecting : acquisitions 1997-2006, 2006, p. 40-41
Esner, Rachel, Heugten, Sjraar van, Leighton, John, Blühm, Andreas, Tempel, Benno, Van Gogh Museum Journal 1999, 1999, p. 134-135