Claire Salvo’s Van Gogh transforms a U.S. dollar bill into an homage to one of the most beloved and tragic figures in art history. Painted in acrylic directly onto the surface of legal tender, Salvo recreates Vincent van Gogh’s iconic Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear with remarkable fidelity and emotional depth.

By merging van Gogh’s unmistakable brushwork and color palette with the rigid design of American currency, Salvo creates a layered dialogue between value, vulnerability, and legacy. The work becomes a meditation on the cost of creativity - how genius, suffering, and worth are quantified in cultural and economic terms.

In Van Gogh, the currency’s cold uniformity gives way to humanity and fragility, as Salvo reclaims a symbol of commerce to celebrate artistic authenticity. The result is both intimate and thought-provoking: a tiny, tangible reminder that the true value of art can never be measured in dollars.