Vincent van Gogh made a total of forty-three self-portraits. For Vincent, self-portraits had a multifaceted function, as they were a tool for probing his own feelings as well as for showing others his innermost self. The artist represented not only his outward appearance, but above all his feelings, moods, sufferings and joys in life. Vincent's first self-portrait is dated 1886. When Vincent devoted himself to depicting men and women, he wanted to constantly highlight their moods and personalities. In the self-portrait, all this is greatly simplified, as Vincent knew very well what his feelings, sensations, the inner state of that moment were, and he wanted to represent them in his works. This is why self-portraits can be considered true portraits of the soul. This is sometimes clear in the letters he wrote to his brother Theo, where he described the works sent as if they were photographs to show him his feelings, anxieties or hopes of that moment. One of most famous self-portraits was the last one, without a beard, from 1889, sold at auction for more than seventy million dollars. Vincent painted himself in the mental hospital of Saint-Rémy. The intense, but at the same time lost gaze clearly showed him in a vulnerable situation and completely devoid of orientation. This painting reflected the artist's great ability to convey strong emotions to all viewers.