First Steps, after Millet 1890

Vincent van Gogh made this painting, First Steps, after Millet, using oil paint on canvas. The materiality of oil paint is crucial here. Van Gogh was heir to a long tradition, but pushed the medium to its expressive limit, using the viscous quality of the paint to create a tangible surface. The thick brushstrokes weren't just about depicting a scene; they embodied it. Look at the figures; the laborers attending to the land. Van Gogh chose this subject matter quite deliberately; he identified with the working class, and saw dignity in their labor. The painting is based on a work by Jean-François Millet, an artist known for his sympathetic portrayals of rural life. Van Gogh’s version amplifies the original’s emotional impact through his own energetic application of paint. The sheer physicality of his technique transforms the act of painting into a kind of labor, mirroring the work depicted. This approach dissolves any lingering distinction between fine art and craft.