Still Life with Mackerels, Lemons and Tomatoes 1886

Vincent van Gogh created "Still Life with Mackerels, Lemons and Tomatoes" during a transformative period of his career. Van Gogh painted this still life at a time when Paris was the epicenter of artistic innovation. The city's vibrant market culture and its complex social dynamics played an important role in shaping his artistic vision. He often sought to depict the raw, unvarnished realities of everyday life. By choosing to paint common foodstuffs, Van Gogh elevates the mundane, suggesting the inherent value and beauty in the things we often overlook. "It is not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to..." The textures and colors evoke a visceral response, inviting us to contemplate the labor and lives behind these objects. Van Gogh connects the viewer with the sensory experience of the market and the meal.