Landscape at Sunset 1885

Vincent van Gogh rendered Landscape at Sunset with oil on canvas at an unknown date. Van Gogh, working in the late 19th century, existed in a world undergoing massive social and economic change, which informed his art. Reflecting on this painting, one might consider the rural landscapes of the Netherlands during the 1880s, and how those landscapes shaped the identities and experiences of its inhabitants. A solitary figure, perhaps a peasant, walks down a dirt path towards a cluster of buildings, presumably a farmhouse or small village. There is a palpable loneliness, a sense of isolation, in the vastness of the landscape. The low horizon line emphasizes the immensity of the sky, bathed in the warm, amber light of the setting sun. The vibrant colours evoke a sense of the sublime. What does it mean to be a man tied to this land? What are his dreams, his fears, his hopes? Van Gogh once wrote, "It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done."