*** About the Portrait of Patience Escalier, Shepherd in Provence: Painted in 1888, during Vincent van Gogh’s highly productive Arles period, this portrait exemplifies his intense focus on capturing the essence of peasant life. This painting is noted for its raw realism, combined with a vibrant color palette that marks the significant influence of Japanese prints and impressionistic techniques in Van Gogh’s work. The subject, Patience Escalier, was a real-life shepherd whose rugged countenance and lifestyle close to nature profoundly inspired Van Gogh. The emotional depth conveyed through the deliberate thick application of paint and expressive line work highlights Van Gogh's admiration for manual laborers and his aspirations to convey the essence and dignity of their existence through art. Currently, the painting resides in the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California, where it continues to captivate audiences with its storytelling and its vivid depiction of character and survival.