Anton Hirschig Paintings


Anton Hirschig was a relatively obscure Dutch painter who lived from 1867 to 1939. Not much is known about his early life or his artistic training. He is often remembered in connection with one of the most famous artists of all time, Vincent van Gogh.

Hirschig's interaction with van Gogh is a key highlight of his life story. In the final months of Van Gogh's life, Hirschig was living in the same small inn called the Ravoux Inn in the village of Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris. It was here that van Gogh spent his last days before his death in July 1890. Hirschig was reportedly one of the last people to see van Gogh alive, and he was present at the time of the artist's tragic death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Despite this connection to the famous van Gogh, Hirschig's own work as an artist did not gain significant recognition, and his personal style and contributions to art are not well-documented. It is believed that he painted in a post-impressionist manner, which was common among Dutch artists of that period who were influenced by the French avant-garde.

After Van Gogh's death, Hirschig continued to paint, but his work never achieved widespread acclaim. There is little record of any substantial exhibitions or sales of his art during his lifetime. Furthermore, surviving works by Hirschig are scarce, and as such, his paintings are not well represented in major art collections or museums.

Anton Hirschig lived through the turn of the century and witnessed the evolution of modern art, though he remained a minor figure in the art historical narrative. He died in 1939, largely forgotten by the art community. Today, his name is mostly mentioned in the context of his brief interaction with Vincent van Gogh, rather than for his own artistic output.