Of Vincent Van Gogh’s prolific portfolio, what immediately comes to mind are his warm, sunny floral landscapes and flowers; colorful, swirling self-portraits; dizzying Starry Night; and interiors of peculiar perspectives. But you’ve also probably seen this dark but somewhat amusing painting of a skeleton with a lit cigarette in its teeth. This painting has a particular place in my heart because it held a special place in my brother’s heart; he liked it enough to get a tattoo of it. 

Head of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette, according to the Van Gogh Museum, was an early work: “This skeleton with a lit cigarette in its mouth is a juvenile joke. Van Gogh painted it in early 1886, while studying at the art academy in Antwerp. The painting shows that he had a good command of anatomy. Drawing skeletons was a standard exercise at the academy, but painting them was not part of the curriculum. He must have made this painting at some other time, between or after his lessons.” 

My Van Gogh-inspired Smoking Skull Necklace is a substantial piece of sculpted cast bronze that hangs from a 14k gold-filled chain that measures 18 inches in total length but can be fastened up the chain wherever you like so that the length is customizable if you’d prefer it to sit higher on your chest. 

Van Gogh’s troubled life and mysterious death are well-known, including acts of self-mutilation, a stint in an asylum, and a suicide that was theorized to be murder by some. I think people who can turn suffering into beauty as Van Gogh did universally captivate us.