Analysis of “The Potato Eaters” by Vincent Van Gogh Essay

Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Analysis of â€Å"The Potato Eaters† by Vincent Van Gogh In 1883, after leaving his wife Sien and his children Vincent Van Gogh headed to Nuenen. Coming off a disturbing part of his life, which included the break up with his ex-wife with several issues and suffering from gonorrhea, he was having a considerably difficult time. In Nuenen, Van Gogh started to devote himself to drawing, and started to gain attachment and sympathy for the peasant way of living. This attachment brought him to study closer the works of Jean-Franà §ois Millet, an artist who Van Gogh praised for his paintings of peasant working. Van Gogh believed the subjects to be of great†¦show more content†¦The final piece was done in his studio, as he wanted to be interpreting it mainly by memory. Nevertheless, struggling to achieve the spontaneity, he returned to the cottage to retouch the canvas ‘from life’; mainly for expressions. The painting shows three female and two male figures, sitting at a round table eating potatoes. Over them, on the center of the painting, an oil lamp candle burns as the only source of light in the painting. As previously mentioned, this painting was created using chiaroscuro, and therefore did not contain so many diverse colors. Instead, Van Gogh used several shades of black and brown, and then a little bit of orange for the burning flame. One out of the three female figures has her back to you and is set in the middle of the painting serving as a repoussoir element. The figure is also stopping the light that is being â€Å"reflected† off the table and onto us. Around her, you can notice Van Gogh almost created an aura of smoke, to also continue portraying this dirty gloomy environment, which the peasants live within. Van Gogh also focused on the face of the peasants, which convey emotion and which seem to all be interacting with one-another. It is interesting to notice how he uses the shadows to show how that burning flame is the only source of light in the painting. When looking at it in the Museum, it is extremely powerful, and the bright color of the burning flame is extremely penetrating andShow MoreRelatedSummary Of The Merry Family 1642 Words   |  7 PagesSparks FAS-202 02/04/2017 Artist s Name: Jan Havicksz Steen Title: The Merry Family Style movement: Baroque Date: 1668 Location: Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam Origin: Leiden, Netherlands Artist s Name: Vincent van Gogh Title: The Potato Eaters Style movement: Postimpressionism Date: 1885 Location: Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam Origin: Nuenen, Netherlands Artist s Name: Jeremie Fischer Title: Is the Family Dinner Overrated? Style movement: Post Modernism Date: 2012 Location: New York Times Origin: NewRead MoreWhat Category Does The Art Fall Under? How Can You Tell?1103 Words   |  5 Pagescanvas pointing towards his face, making his face the focal point. Describe the initial emotions you feel when viewing the art. Then list any adjectives that describe how you feel when looking at the art. When I look at this painting, I feel like Van Gogh is looking at me. His body is faced to the left, but his eyes are looking straight forward. When you look at the piece, you make eye contact with him. I feel like his eyes are sad when I look at him, and he is not smiling either. He is probably notRead MoreThe Starry Night And The Scream1763 Words   |  8 PagesThe Starry Night and The Scream Vincent Van Gogh was born in the Netherlands on March 30, 1853. He pursued many other things in his life before deciding to become an artist. He was brought up in a religious atmosphere, being the son of a preacher. He was a preacher himself for a while in Borinage, a mining district in Belgium. At one point he wanted to dedicate his life to reaching out to those in poverty. At other points in his life he worked as an art salesman and a bookstore clerk. After being