Self-Portrait with Portrait of Emile Bernard

It was Vincent Van Gogh who gave Gauguin the idea for this self-portrait. Vincent wanted Gauguin, Emile Bernard and himself to take as an example the Japanese habit of painting themselves, and of possessing, in the form of exchanges, cross portraits of their friends. On the lower right-hand side there is this surprising dedication: "Les misérables. To my friend Vincent " ("Les misérables. A mon ami Vincent" in French).