Woman by a Hearth 1885

"Woman by a Hearth" is a charcoal drawing by Vincent van Gogh, completed in 1885, and currently held in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. The drawing depicts a woman stoking a fire with a pair of tongs, a kettle hanging above her head, likely to heat water for a drink or meal. The strong lines and hatching style of van Gogh's drawing captures the woman's focused energy in a realistic yet stylized manner. This drawing reflects van Gogh's interest in depicting the lives of everyday people and the working class, a common theme in his work.