Digging potatoes 1917

"Digging Potatoes" was painted by Tadeusz Makowski in 1917, as Poland struggled for independence amidst the turmoil of World War One. Makowski was a Polish painter who spent much of his career in France. His paintings of rural life are infused with sentimentality and nostalgia. This painting shows peasants digging potatoes in a field. The potato was an important staple crop in Poland and other parts of Europe. From the mid-19th century, rural economies in Poland and other parts of Europe were struggling. Many people left the countryside for work in cities, and Polish society was undergoing modernisation and industrialisation. These factors contributed to a sense of crisis and loss that was often expressed in Polish art and literature. Makowski's painting shows his interest in rural life and a sense of connection to the land. Art historians can learn more about such works through archival sources, literature of the period, and studies of Polish cultural history. This enables us to see how such art reflects the social and institutional forces of its time.