Woman from Scheveningen 1882

Vincent van Gogh made this drawing of a "Woman from Scheveningen" with chalk and pencil. The modest materials make sense, considering that Van Gogh’s subject matter at this time was the working class. The artist was interested in the textures of everyday life, and was attracted to the challenge of representing the dignity of labor in a way that he felt wasn't being done in the artistic circles of his time. The grainy quality of the chalk and the light and shade, the way it's smudged across the page, gives a softness to the sitter's posture, and the subtle variations in tone suggest the effects of light on her clothes. You can almost feel the weight of the fabric she's wearing, and the roughness of her hands. It’s easy to overlook drawings like this in favor of Van Gogh’s more colorful paintings. But it’s important to remember that materials, making, and context are key to understanding the full meaning of an artwork, challenging the distinctions between fine art and craft.