Elena Rossi
In April 1885, Vincent van Gogh completed his oil painting, 'The Potato Eaters', a dark-toned portrait of a peasant family sharing a meal. The painting was created in Nuenen, a rural town in the Netherlands, where van Gogh lived with his parents. The artist had high hopes for the artwork, believing it would be his ticket into the Parisian art world. However, the painting received negative criticism for its dark colours and mistakes in the figures. Despite the initial response, 'The Potato Eaters' is now considered one of van Gogh's most famous works and has become an iconic piece of art.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh |
| Year | 1885 |
| Month | April |
| Location | Nuenen, Netherlands |
| Medium | Oil painting |
| Subjects | Peasant family eating potatoes |
| Inspiration | Israëls' "A Peasant Family at the Table" |
| Colours | Grey, brown, green |
| Technique | "Broken tones" |
| Exhibition | Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam |
| Sketch Location | Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo |
| Lithographs | Museum of Modern Art, New York City |
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What You'll Learn
Van Gogh's artistic influences
Vincent van Gogh painted 'The Potato Eaters' in April 1885 in Nuenen, the Netherlands. The painting, considered one of his masterpieces, depicts a peasant family eating by lamplight and was intended to convey the idea of "a wholly different way of life" from the viewer's.
Literary Influences
Van Gogh's early exposure to literature, particularly the works of Hugo and Zola, deeply influenced his artistic voice and how he perceived and portrayed the world. Zola's novel, 'Le Ventre de Paris', with its celebration of bohemian life, resonated with Van Gogh, influencing his thematic choices and personal life. The vivid descriptions of night skies in Zola's novels inspired Van Gogh's famous painting 'Starry Night'.
Japanese Prints
Van Gogh's fascination with Japanese ukiyo-e prints was transformative for his artistic direction. The vibrant colours, bold compositions, and outlines of these prints spoke to him instinctually. He started avidly collecting Japanese prints upon his introduction to them in Paris, amassing a substantial number that influenced iconic pieces. The direct impact of these prints can be seen in Van Gogh's approach to composition, colour palette, and the use of bold contour lines.
French Impressionists
Upon moving to Paris, Van Gogh was inspired by the works of Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, adopting their bright palette and developing a unique style. He was exposed to artists such as Gauguin, Pissarro, Monet, and Bernard, and began experimenting with his technique.
The Hague School
Van Gogh's artistic roots lay with the artists of the Hague School, including Anton Mauve and Jozef Israëls. In a letter to his brother Theo, Van Gogh expressed his admiration for Israëls, whose work 'A Peasant Family at the Table' may have inspired 'The Potato Eaters'.
Van Gogh's influences, combined with his personal experiences and emotions, resulted in a new kind of art that continues to influence modern painting movements.
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The painting's subject matter
The Potato Eaters is an oil painting by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, painted in April 1885 in Nuenen, the Netherlands. The painting depicts five people sitting around a small square table, eating potatoes and drinking coffee. The figures are painted in earth tones, with their hands gnarled from hard work and their faces bony and worn. The colours used are mostly grey-brown-greenish, with a single light source illuminating the figures and the items on the table.
The subject matter of the painting is a peasant family at a meal. Van Gogh wanted to convey the idea that the family members had worked hard to earn their food and that their way of life was different from that of the viewer. He wrote to his brother, Theo, about his intentions for the painting:
> I wanted it to give the idea of a wholly different way of life from ours... anyone who would rather see insipidly pretty peasants can go ahead. For my part, I’m convinced that in the long run, it produces better results to paint them in their coarseness than to introduce conventional sweetness.
Van Gogh also had ambitions for the painting to be his ticket into the Parisian art world. However, the painting received negative criticism for its dark colours and the figures' full of mistakes. Van Gogh's friend and fellow painter, Anthon van Rappard, wrote: "You can do better than this". Despite this, Van Gogh continued to hold the painting in high regard, considering it his most successful work.
The painting is now considered one of Van Gogh's masterpieces and is on display at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, with the original oil sketch at the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo.
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The Potato Eaters' critical reception
Vincent van Gogh completed The Potato Eaters in 1885, and it is considered one of his first major works. The painting depicts a peasant family sharing a meal of potatoes, and it is known for its dark, earthy tones and powerful portrayal of rural life. Van Gogh had high hopes for the artwork, believing it would be his ticket to the Parisian art world. However, the painting initially received criticism for its dark palette and unconventional style.
Van Gogh's friend and fellow painter Anthon van Rappard wrote a scathing review, expressing disapproval of the composition and the figures' exaggerated features. He questioned the technical aspects of the work, such as the placement of body parts and the proportions. Despite this criticism, Van Gogh remained proud of The Potato Eaters, considering it a true representation of peasant life and a reflection of his empathy for the working poor.
The painting was not featured in any exhibitions during Van Gogh's lifetime and was greeted with universal disapproval. It represented a turning point in his artistic development, marking a transition from traditional styles to a unique and expressive approach. The Potato Eaters is now recognised as a masterpiece and a crucial work in understanding the artist's journey and his empathy for the rural poor.
The original painting is housed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and it continues to be studied and exhibited, inviting visitors to appreciate its dynamic depiction of peasant life. The dark tones and muddy colours, achieved through Van Gogh's experimentation with "broken tones," contribute to the powerful and sombre mood of the artwork. The composition, with its central figure and emphasis on the simple meal, symbolises the solidarity of rural life and the dignity of the working class.
Overall, The Potato Eaters by Vincent van Gogh underwent a remarkable transformation in critical reception over time. Initially dismissed and criticised for its stylistic choices and execution, it is now celebrated as a masterpiece that captures the harsh realities of peasant life and reflects the artist's empathy for the working class.
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Van Gogh's personal reflections
In the spring of 1885, Vincent van Gogh began work on one of his most renowned and pivotal paintings, 'The Potato Eaters'. This period in the Netherlands, where he was residing at the time, was a time of reflection and a pivotal moment in his artistic development. Van Gogh had a deep interest in the lives of peasants and wanted to portray their harsh reality and dignity in his art. This theme was a recurring subject in his work during this time, and it was a topic that held personal significance for him.
In a letter to his brother, Theo, in April 1885, Van Gogh wrote about his intentions and thoughts behind 'The Potato Eaters'. He described his desire to depict "peasant character heads" and his interest in capturing the "coarseness and strength" of their features. He wanted to convey the essence of their hard, manual labor and the toll it took on their bodies. Van Gogh spent a considerable amount of time studying and sketching the local peasants, trying to understand their way of life and the unique characteristics of their appearances.
> "I have been working on it for a long time, making studies of heads almost every evening, and I have now brought it to the point where the painting is almost entirely composed of head studies, and there is an expression in it, or so it seems to me, that one does not see every day."
Furthermore, Van Gogh's letters also provide insight into his technical approach to the painting. He experimented with a subdued color palette, using mainly earthy tones, which he believed suited the subject matter. He wrote about his use of "broken" colors and how he aimed to create a sense of unity and harmony in the painting, despite the varied tones and shades.
> "I am trying to express something different by it, namely, that these people, eating their potatoes in the lamplight, have dug the earth with these hands they put in the dish, and so it speaks of manual labor, and how they have thus honestly earned their food."
Through his personal reflections, Van Gogh offers a window into his artistic mind and his deep connection to the subject matter. 'The Potato Eaters' marked a significant step in his artistic journey, showcasing his evolving style and his desire to capture the beauty and dignity in the everyday lives of the working class.
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The painting's ownership history
"The Potato Eaters" is one of Vincent van Gogh's most famous works. The Dutch artist painted it in April 1885 in Nuenen, the Netherlands. The painting is currently housed in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, with the original oil sketch at the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo.
Van Gogh sent "The Potato Eaters" to his brother, Theo van Gogh, in Paris, at the beginning of May 1885. After his death on 25 January 1891, his widow, Jo van Gogh-Bonger, and their son, Vincent Willem van Gogh, inherited the painting. Jo van Gogh-Bonger administered it until her death on 2 September 1925.
In 1962, Vincent Willem van Gogh transferred the painting to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation in Amsterdam. An agreement was concluded between the Foundation and the State of the Netherlands, entrusting the state with the preservation and management of the collection, including "The Potato Eaters." The painting was loaned to the Stedelijk Museum until the opening of the Van Gogh Museum on 2 June 1973. It has been on permanent loan to the Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh since then and has been exhibited in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam since 1 July 1994.
"The Potato Eaters" has been exhibited in several museums worldwide, including the Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York, the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the City Art Museum of Saint Louis, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The painting was also part of a Van Gogh exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London in 1968-1969.
In addition to the original painting and sketch, Van Gogh also created lithographs of "The Potato Eaters." These lithographs are held in collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
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Frequently asked questions
Vincent van Gogh painted The Potato Eaters in April 1885.
Van Gogh was inspired by the peasant way of life. He wanted to capture the authenticity of their lives and their connection to the land. He wrote to his brother, Theo, about his intentions for the painting:
> I wanted it to give the idea of a wholly different way of life from ours. Anyone who would rather see insipidly pretty peasants can go ahead. For my part, I’m convinced that in the long run, it produces better results to paint them in their coarseness than to introduce conventional sweetness.
Van Gogh painted The Potato Eaters in Nuenen, a rural town in the Netherlands. He lived with his parents and worked on the painting in his studio.
The Potato Eaters depicts a peasant family sharing a meal of potatoes. The painting shows a family gathered around a table, with a figure in the centre whose back is to the viewer. Van Gogh wanted to convey the idea that the family had worked hard for their food, tilling the earth with their own hands.
The Potato Eaters is characterised by dark tones and muted colours. Van Gogh used a technique called "broken tones," mixing complementary colours to create greyish hues. This gave the painting a dark and moody atmosphere.
