The Courtesan (After Eisen) by Vincent van Gogh 2.5 oz Silver Coin

2.5 oz 999 Fine Silver Coin – Republique du Tchad 2024 – 10000 Francs CFA

Vincent van Gogh’s “Courtesan (After Eisen)”, painted in 1887, is a vibrant homage to Japanese ukiyo-e printmaking and reveals the artist’s growing fascination with Eastern aesthetics. Based on a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Keisai Eisen, van Gogh reinterprets the courtesan figure with his own expressive palette and painterly technique, merging Eastern influence with Western modernity. This piece is both a tribute and a creative transformation, emblematic of van Gogh’s search for new visual languages during his time in Paris.

Van Gogh encountered Japanese prints while living in Montmartre, where they were widely sold in Parisian shops. Deeply inspired by their flat planes of colour, bold outlines, and compositional harmony, he began collecting and studying them. “Courtesan (After Eisen)” was not a simple copy; instead, van Gogh enlarged the original figure and surrounded her with an imaginative border of frogs, cranes, lotus flowers, and bamboo—symbols associated with exoticism and Japanese natural motifs. These elements are not from Eisen’s original work but rather from van Gogh’s interpretation of the “mood” and thematic richness of Japanese art.

The courtesan, elaborately dressed in a traditional kimono, stands poised and elegant, exuding a mixture of sensuality and formality. Van Gogh’s use of vivid greens, reds, and yellows amplifies the boldness of the print, creating an eye-catching contrast that diverges from the subtler tones of traditional ukiyo-e. His brushwork is visibly textured and layered, a hallmark of his style, which adds a tactile quality absent in the smooth surfaces of prints. Through this approach, van Gogh sought not only to replicate but to emotionally enhance the Japanese subject. The background, filled with aquatic creatures and flora, draws attention to van Gogh’s imaginative world-building. These added motifs underscore his idealised view of Japan as a place of peace, harmony, and artistic purity. 

“Courtesan (After Eisen)” reflects a transitional moment in van Gogh’s career. It marks his move away from the darker tones of his earlier Dutch period and toward the brighter, more experimental colours that would define his mature works. It also showcases his openness to cross-cultural influence, an attitude that was forward-thinking for its time. This painting remains a testament to van Gogh’s belief that art could bridge cultures. His adaptation of a Japanese courtesan into his European expressionist language encapsulates a fusion of admiration, curiosity, and personal interpretation. Today, the work stands as an emblem of East-West artistic exchange, highlighting how cultural inspiration can be reimagined through the lens of another artist’s vision.

On a canvas of 165 x 125mm, a new minting technique called “Tri-Metal” was applied to give this piece its remarkable weight while keeping its proportions true to the actual painting. This is made possible by combining 750g of Zinc as a center layer and 120g of copper as a base with a top layer of 2.5 oz of 999 fine Silver, resulting in a high relief. This is a limited edition of 399 pieces only. Each piece is packaged and delivered with a Certificate verifying its edition number and authenticity.