View of a butcher’s shop 

Vincent van Gogh created this painting with oil on canvas. The visible brushstrokes and thick impasto – built-up paint – give the artwork a tactile, almost sculptural quality, far removed from the smooth surfaces of traditional academic painting. Van Gogh’s distinct handling of the oil paint influenced the overall mood and meaning of the painting. Through the window and the use of strong colors, you can see the stripes of the butcher shop's awning outside, and the reflection of a woman on the balcony. While it may depict an ordinary scene, Van Gogh elevates the everyday through his unique artistic processes. The emphasis is not on the subject matter, but on the artist’s subjective experience and his expressive manipulation of materials. This work challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft, where the artist’s hand and the materiality of the medium take center stage.