ative ▁academic ▁practices . ▁ ▁Before ▁it ▁was ▁common ▁to ▁use ▁live ▁humans ▁as ▁models , ▁the ▁academic ▁routine ▁included ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁ske let ons ▁to ▁develop ▁an ▁understanding ▁of ▁human ▁an atom y . ▁ ▁Van ▁G og h ▁was ▁in ▁Ant werp , ▁Belg ium ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁att ending ▁classes ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁Academy ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts , ▁which ▁he ▁later ▁said ▁were ▁b oring ▁and ▁taught ▁him ▁nothing . ▁ ▁Van ▁G og h ▁included ▁ske let ons ▁in ▁another ▁work ▁from ▁his ▁Ant werp ▁period , ▁a ▁sketch ▁of ▁a ▁" H anging ▁ske leton ▁and ▁cat ". ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 7 – 8 8 , ▁van ▁G og h ▁painted ▁two ▁more ▁paint ings ▁with ▁sk ull s , ▁the ▁only ▁other ▁works ▁of ▁his ▁( bes ides ▁a ▁drawing ▁from ▁the ▁same ▁period ) ▁to ▁use ▁sk ull s ▁as ▁a ▁mot if . ▁ ▁The ▁work ▁measures ▁. ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁considered ▁a ▁van itas ▁or ▁m emento ▁mor i , ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁Van ▁G og h ▁himself ▁was ▁in ▁poor ▁health . ▁ ▁It ▁may ▁be ▁influenced ▁by ▁works ▁of ▁Her cules ▁Seg ers , ▁a ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁Dutch ▁artist , ▁or ▁of ▁F é lic ien ▁R ops , ▁a ▁Belg ian ▁contemporary ▁of ▁Van ▁G og h . ▁ ▁Although ▁often ▁interpreted ▁as ▁a ▁criticism ▁of ▁sm oking , ▁Van ▁G og h ▁was ▁a ▁keen ▁sm oker ▁himself , ▁and ▁continued ▁to